Tromboners put Stamps on new disc
EDWARDSVILLE - Two trombones lead the newly released compact disc, “Bad to the Bone," the collaborative work of local professional music men Brett Stamps and Jim Owens.
The smooth, sultry sound of Stamps, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's professor of jazz studies, and Owens, an SIUE music master's degree alumni, on trombones, combined with the rhythm of SIUE faculty members Miles Vandiver on drums, Zeb Briskovich on bass, Reggie Thomas on piano and Rick Haydon on guitar give a whole new meaning to cool jazz. On two songs, the trombone duo recruited graduate student Cody Henry and SIUE adjunct professor Jim Martin to expand the trombone section to four.
Stamps said the seed for the project was planted at a CD release party four years ago for another album.
“We've always subbed' for each other in the various bands we've played in, but trombones rarely get the chance to play together unless it's in a big band," Owens said. “So the two of us played Alone Together' at this party, and Bill Becker thought it was great."
As executive producer of St. Louis-based Victoria Records, Becker said, “Let's make a recording."
“He said it reminded him of Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson, who did something similar in the 1960s," Stamps said. “You don't often hear two trombones like that. It has been done, but not very often." But at that time, everyone had other irons in the fire, and the project sat on the shelf for a while. Last fall, interest was renewed, and the CD recorded.
The smooth, sultry sound of Stamps, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's professor of jazz studies, and Owens, an SIUE music master's degree alumni, on trombones, combined with the rhythm of SIUE faculty members Miles Vandiver on drums, Zeb Briskovich on bass, Reggie Thomas on piano and Rick Haydon on guitar give a whole new meaning to cool jazz. On two songs, the trombone duo recruited graduate student Cody Henry and SIUE adjunct professor Jim Martin to expand the trombone section to four.
Stamps said the seed for the project was planted at a CD release party four years ago for another album.
“We've always subbed' for each other in the various bands we've played in, but trombones rarely get the chance to play together unless it's in a big band," Owens said. “So the two of us played Alone Together' at this party, and Bill Becker thought it was great."
As executive producer of St. Louis-based Victoria Records, Becker said, “Let's make a recording."
“He said it reminded him of Kai Winding and J.J. Johnson, who did something similar in the 1960s," Stamps said. “You don't often hear two trombones like that. It has been done, but not very often." But at that time, everyone had other irons in the fire, and the project sat on the shelf for a while. Last fall, interest was renewed, and the CD recorded.
