Dan Wall

Paul Samuels: Speak

by Mark F. Turner
March 23, 2006

The rhythmic pulse of the drum is the heartbeat of music, yet a skilled jazz drummer can add more than just a steady beat--also providing vibrancy and color to the music.Paul Samuels began learning this early on when his father took him to jazz concerts by musicians like McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie and the great drummer Tony Williams. He also honed his abilities professionally, playing in different settings with many artists, including sax innovator Greg Osby, with whom ...

Dan Wall: On the Inside Looking In

by C. Andrew Hovan
February 1, 2001

It just so happens that he currently makes his home in Cleveland, Ohio, yet pianist/organist Dan Wall is a world class player who could hold his own in New York, LA or just about anywhere. An integral part of guitarist John Abercrombie’s trio for some eight years now (see and hear Open Land and Tactics ), Wall rarely sits at the Hammond B3 for in-town gigs, but has made a strong attempt to develop a voice on the instrument through ...

John Abercrombie: Open Land

by Glenn Astarita
December 1, 1999

One of the true treasures of Modern Jazz, guitarist John Abercrombie’s impressive and somewhat legendary recorded legacy continues with Open Land. Here, Abercrombie expands his longtime “organ trio” group consisting of organist Dan Wall and drummer Adam Nussbaum while garnering the rather estimable support of special guests, saxophonist Joe Lovano, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and violinist Mark Feldman.

On Open Land the great guitarist offers the listener a panoramic view via wide-open and expansive compositions that leave plenty of room for ...

John Abercrombie: Open Land

by David Adler
December 1, 1999

John Abercrombie’s guitar tone has changed a lot over the years. I am particularly fond of his late 70s quartet with Richard Beirach, George Mraz, and Peter Donald. Back then his sound was extremely dark—nearly underwater in fact, with no treble to speak of. Lately it’s developed a lot more flesh and attack. On this new record, Open Land, he gravitates toward a nasal tone more along the lines of John Scofield. “Spring Song," a haunting waltz, and “Gimme Five," ...

John Abercrombie: Open Land

by C. Andrew Hovan
November 1, 1999

Truth be told, John Abercrombie has always been one of the more neglected players of his generation. He's never done the more commercial types of things that have brought fellow guitarists like Pat Metheny a broader audience base, and yet the irony is that his adventurous style and sound was the forerunner of such current underground favorites as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Bill Frisell, and Ben Monder. Several years ago, however, he chose to work in the context of an organ trio. ...