Ethan Philion

“There’s still plenty of room for deep listening and open-ended solos…There

are also passages with just bass and drums intertwined that call to mind Mingus with Dannie Richmond; quotes fly by and there’s a touch of flamenco flourishes on the bassist’s four strings. The alto leans in, spinning off variations, and the drum kit is an engaged participant throughout the tune..There are also beautiful arco solos on the title track and "Comment Section," the latter of which finds the band really letting its free chops fly in between areas of wide open space and composed passages...if I saw these modern ones in a club, though, I'd stay for a second set.” 4 Stars

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“There’s still plenty of room for deep listening and open-ended solos…There

are also passages with just bass and drums intertwined that call to mind Mingus with Dannie Richmond; quotes fly by and there’s a touch of flamenco flourishes on the bassist’s four strings. The alto leans in, spinning off variations, and the drum kit is an engaged participant throughout the tune..There are also beautiful arco solos on the title track and "Comment Section," the latter of which finds the band really letting its free chops fly in between areas of wide open space and composed passages...if I saw these modern ones in a club, though, I'd stay for a second set.” 4 Stars

• Larry Appelbaum, Downbeat Magazine (pg 56)

“Indeed, Philion brings not only an immense rhythmic sense, but even more an expressive intensity, a powerful accent that has a strong conciseness even in the most virtuosic runs and most playful solos…the original compositions and the exciting interplay between Philion, alto saxophonist Greg Ward, trumpeter Russ Johnson and drummer Dana Hall inspire…The whole album holds this tension, which is not least due to the fact that in the quartet each musician gets the opportunity to bring in his enormous abilities and to exhibit them in the spirit of the overall sound…The Chicago-based Ethan Philion also has a sense for exquisite melodies - but above all for the improvisational freedom he gives his fellow musicians.”

• UlrichRudenauer, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (October 30 2023)

“For Gnosis, his second album as a leader, Philion deploys a pair of players from his debut — trumpeter Russ Johnson and drummer Dana Hall — along with alto saxophonist Greg Ward for an intimate, more free-minded session sans chordal instruments and mostly drawing from the bassist’s own compositions. It’s by turns rambunctious and meditative, documenting an invigorating session by a group of like-minded players and frequent collaborators dedicated to elevating the intriguing compositions at hand... The spirit of Mingus continues to loom large here, in Philion’s big, beefy sound and aggressive physical technique..The exchanges here, between sax and trumpet, constitute one of many highlights on an album whose leader has decidedly avoided a sophomore slump.”

• Phillip Booth, JAZZIZ

“The Chicago bassist burst into the scene with Meditations on Mingus (Sunnyside Records, 2022), an audacious debut recording on which he arranged familiar selections and deep cuts from the towering jazz bassist Charles Mingus. On Gnosis, the forces are smaller and perhaps so is the ambition of Philion's concept. Yet from the very first notes of "The Boot," which begins with a shriek from trumpeter Russ Johnson and alto saxophonist Greg Ward, the chordless quartet announces that it means business…Even the ballads on Gnosis burn with ardor…Balancing freedom with formal rigor, Gnosis asserts with electrifying confidence that Ethan Philion has crashed through the sophomore slump.”

• Michael Chacona, All About Jazz

“A labor of conspicuous love and respect for a musical titan whose music remains timeless and relevant…Philion demonstrates his chops and taste on Haitian Fight song but his primary role is to supply the sophisticated yet faithful arrangements and curatorial vision for the tentet.”

4 STARS

Josef Woodard, Downbeat November 2022 Issue

“Philion balances and aligns the ensembles and crisply articulates the juxtaposition of cheery swing and introspective balladry...Philion–leading a dectet packed with Chicago’s A-list, including drummer Dana Hall, trumpeter Victor Garcia and reedists Rajiv Halim and Geof Bradfield, resplendent on bass clarinet—makes these performances quite his own, with knowing touches that reflect his meditations on Mingus’ music...He adds colorful obbligatos to shape a couple of tracks, along with other ingenious wrinkles of the sort that—along with dazzling and deeply realized performances from all—lifts this album above so many of the year’s Mingus centennial tributes.”

Neil Tesser, JAZZIZ 

"There is a lot of good intention and successful realization here...The ensemble playing has the necessary balance of looseness and accuracy...Philion's partnership with the widely experienced drummer Dana Hall is impressive. If this album makes you want to hear the originals again, then fair enough, but these reinterpretations are sufficiently compelling in their own right.” 

4 STARS

Brian Priestly, Jazzwise

“Arranging eight Mingus compositions for a dynamic dectet, Philion addresses enduring systemic plagues in unflinching fashion…As on Mingus’ own performances, the power in these arrangements comes not just from the writing and its inspirations but also from the musicians breathing life into each scenario. Using a cast that mixes veterans like trumpeter Russ Johnson, tenor saxophonist Geof Bradfield, and drummer Dana Hall with up-and-comers such as trombonist Brendan Whalen and pianist Alexis Lombre, Philion shows keen understanding that a key to accessing the profound is based on the right blend of personalities.”

–Dan Bilawsky, Jazz Times

“Mingus would’ve turned 100 this year, and tributes are pouring in around the globe. Chicago bassist Ethan Philion hones in on Mingus’s compositional legacy, focusing on material where Mingus spoke truth to power and confronted injustice. To execute his arrangements, Philion enlists a star-powered ten-piece that includes drummer Dana Hall, trumpeter Victor Garcia, pianist Alexis Lombre, and saxophonist Geof Bradfield.” Hannah Edgar, Chicago Reader

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