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Brian Settles
Stephen Arnold & Sea Change: The Hitting Wall
by Jack Bowers
Although is difficult to pinpoint the precise thread that ties them together, bassist and composer Stephen Arnold envisions the 14 songs of The Hitting Wall as a suite, albeit one whose parts are at times more divergent than complementary, compositionally and in terms of groove. Arnold leads an able sextet whose horn section is comprised of trumpeter Brandon Woody and tenor saxophonist Brian Settles, with guitarist Nelson Dougherty, pianist Federico Pena and drummer Keith Butler Jr. in the ...
Continue ReadingJanel Leppin: Ensemble Volcanic Ash: Pluto In Aquarius
by Don Ball
Janel Leppin's title choice for her 2026 Ensemble Volcanic Ash (EVA) recording gives a hint of what kind of music to expect. Pluto being in Aquarius is a momentous sign, one of change and tension, and lasts 20 years (we are currently in one such phase). The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was 1777 to 1798--during the American and French Revolutions. Whether you believe in the astronomy or not, the Pluto in Aquarius is certainly bursting with tension and ...
Continue ReadingMary Halvorson: About Ghosts
by Doug Collette
Since Mary Halvorson began her prolific affiliation with Nonesuch Records, she has refused to repeat herself except with a purpose. The simultaneous release of Amaryllis & Belladonna (Nonesuch Records, 2022) was the precursor to the expansive Cloudward (Nonesuch Records, 2024), while About Ghosts represents a retrenchment, albeit a productive one. On five of these eight cuts, the identical Amaryllis Sextet that appeared on the latter LP interacts smoothly with guest saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Brian Settles. Such synchrony ...
Continue ReadingMary Halvorson: About Ghosts
by Mike Jurkovic
It has become more than an urban legend that Brooklyn's genius-in-residence Mary Halvorson is supernaturally up to something. Some new route around something else. On her second resiliency test of the year--her first, the fiery Bone Bells (Pyroclastic, 2025) alongside hot-house pianist Sylvie Courvoisier still rattles the playlist--Halvorson's About Ghosts tells of wide open spaces with a wide open lens. Its intricate inner architecture is so comfortably ethereal that you sway freely within its charm and frenzy. About ...
Continue ReadingJanel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is to Love
by Vincenzo Roggero
Uscito nel mese di giugno insieme a New Moon in the Evil Age del duo Janel & Anthony, questo To March Is to Love presenta una formazione dal nome intrigante di Ensemble Volcanic Ash nella quale al duo sopra menzionato si aggiungono un basso, una batteria e ben due sassofoni. Registrato live in un solo giorno con la supervisione di Curtis Fye e con il mixaggio di Mike Reina--vero e proprio valore aggiunto dell'incisione--To March is to Love cattura tutta ...
Continue ReadingJanel Leppin, Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is To Love
by Glenn Astarita
Janel Leppin, a multi-instrumentalist and composer known for her innovative approach to music, leads her Ensemble Volcanic Ash in their latest release, To March Is To Love. Her debut album, Ensemble Volcanic Ash, released in 2022, garnered widespread acclaim. Now, with her follow-up, Leppin continues to push boundaries and explore new sonic landscapes. This project, recorded live in the studio, features a stellar sextet. Her versatility and creative vision have made her a distinctive voice in contemporary music. Notably, Leppin ...
Continue ReadingLuke Stewart Silt Trio: Unknown Rivers
by Troy Dostert
Bassists in the jazz world frequently have to toil in the trenches for years, building their resumes in fits and starts as they gradually establish themselves, commonly hidden (figuratively and literally) behind the players up front who get most of the attention and credit. Luke Stewart is an undeniable exception, having enjoyed a mercurial rise to prominence since 2017 in outfits like Irreversible Entanglements, Heroes Are Gang Leaders and his own ensembles, not to mention a host of other projects ...
Continue ReadingBrian Settles/Central Union - Secret Handshake (2011)
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Something Else!
There's something odd I noticed about this record from the opening moments: there's a piano on it. Why is that so bizarre you ask? I don't think there's ever been a piano before on an Engine Studios recording. Then again, there hasn't been a Brian Settles record before either. Last June, both of these firsts made their way to the public when Settles' Secret Handshake album went on sale. Saxophone specialist Settles first got notice here as a key component ...
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Music
The Root
From: The Hitting WallBy Brian Settles
Metropolitan Musings (Them Streets Again)
From: UndauntedBy Brian Settles
Brian Settles
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
