Jazz Articles

Ross Hammond: Humanity Suite

By GLENN ASTARITA

Guitarist Ross Hammond is building upon his conspicuous artistic persona as a new wave jazz and improvisational guitarist, composer who aligns with fellow West Coast denizens, including seminal Southern California based woodwind ace Vinny Golia and others. With a dozen albums under his belt, the guitarist has exponentially pushed the envelope, largely with great success. He also possesses an idiosyncratic style, where unanticipated curveballs, off-center phrasings and variable use of distortion techniques have become a primary component of his rangy ...

Ross Hammond: Holding onto the Wave

By TROY COLLINS

Sacramento-based guitarist Ross Hammond has been steadily gaining attention, courtesy of a tireless performing schedule reinforced and documented by a series of diverse albums issued on his own Prescott Recordings imprint. Hammond's releases have featured a variety of instrumental lineups, ranging from lyrical solo recitals to frenetic collective improvisations. His most recent endeavor is Cathedrals (Prescott Recordings, 2013), the sophomore follow-up to Adored (Prescott Recordings), the 2012 debut of his all- star quartet, which found the young guitarist leading an ...

Ross Hammond Quartet: Adored

By TROY COLLINS

Adored is the debut of Sacramento-based guitarist Ross Hammond's Quartet. Although Hammond's previous recordings have featured an array of configurations (ranging from solo recitals to spontaneous improvisations with various West Coast peers), this date is among the most impressive in his growing discography. For the first time, the relatively young guitarist leads an all-star quartet of respected veterans, including multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia, bassist Steuart Liebig and drummer Alex Cline--all notable bandleaders in their own right.Randy McKean's liner notes ...

Ross Hammond: Teakayo Mission

By TROY COLLINS

Sacramento based guitarist Ross Hammond's Teakayo Mission is one of those rare, indie sessions that creatively succeeds where so many others fall by the wayside. Leading a potent group that listens as effectively as it plays, Hammond's quartet features saxophonist David Boyce, bassist Lisa Mezzacappa and renown drummer Scott Amendola. Covering an eclectic variety of tunes with a cohesive sonic sensibility, Hammond merges rock, jazz and free improvisation into a cohesive collection beyond category.

Hammond's writing favors a ...