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Ryan Keberle & Catharsis: Ryan Keberle & Catharsis: Azul Infinito

By Jakob Baekgaard

By now, trombonist and composer Ryan Keberle has established himself as a solid name on the jazz scene, but like all musicians, he did not come out of nowhere. On the album Azul Infinito, he pays homage to South American music and the composers that have meant something to him. The opener “I Thought I Knew (for Pedro Giraudo)" starts out with looped wordless vocals from singer Camila Meza and spiraling brass patterns from Keberle and trumpeter ...

Ryan Keberle & Catharsis: Azul Infinito

By Dan Bilawsky

While the blues is a distinctly American creation, formed, fueled, and furthered by the African diaspora, the United States holds no ownership on blue-streaked sounds. They exist beyond our borders, and Azul Infinito makes that case in artful fashion by simultaneously tapping into various South American musical forms and cultures, reshaping them, and highlighting the color scheme(s) endemic to each one. It's a strikingly original album that's influenced by the work of specific figures and set cultural norms, but shaped ...

Ryan Keberle & Catharsis: Into The Zone

By Dan Bilawsky

At the tail end of 2013, trombonist Ryan Keberle contributed an enlightened article-cum-manifesto to The NYC Jazz Record. In said piece, Keberle used Music Is Emotion (Alternate Side Records, 2013), the debut project from his piano-less quartet called Catharsis, as a springboard into discussion about left-brain vs. right-brain forms of creation, the importance of stressing musicality over complexity, and the need to find a way to that zen-like space where the music flows. The article--"Into The Zone"--foreshadowed the direction and ...

Ryan Keberle: Multicolored Tapestry

By R.J. DeLuke

Ryan Keberle is a musician with open ears, who listens to all kinds of music with the attitude that in most cases something can be learned from it. He listens as a fan and as a musician. It can be just to enjoy rock, alternative, pop, R&B or blues. But there might be a kernel of something that will stick with him, maybe influencing in his gripping and supple trombone solos, or in his writing and arranging.He plays ...

Ryan Keberle + Catharsis: Music Is Emotion

By Dan Bilawsky

Music can be defined, analyzed and categorized, but those formal processes do little to help demystify the effect it can have on people. That's because music's power isn't directly related to the science behind the sound; music truly makes its mark through emotional connectivity, and trombonist Ryan Keberle is keenly aware of this. In just over a decade, Keberle has become one of the most in-demand trombonists on the scene, and he's done so by using his ...

Ryan Keberle: Heavy Dreaming

By Dan Bilawsky

Brass band-oriented projects seemed to be all the rage in 2009. Dave Douglas, leaning on the work of Lester Bowie and the heritage of the Crescent City, garnered great critical acclaim and artistic success with his Brass Ecstasy project. Saxophonist David Binney created a mysterious and intriguing blend between a guest brass section and his core quartet on Third Occasion (Mythology Record, 2009). Trombonist Ryan Keberle is now hot on their heels with Heavy Dreaming, featuring his Double Quartet--piano, drums, ...

Ryan Keberle: Double Quartet

By Jim Santella

The double quartet that trombonist Ryan Keberle brings to the studio for this debut recording shares a true appreciation for superb tone and a freewheeling sense of rhythm. With arrangements that parallel those of a quality big band, the ensemble combines an acoustic, trombone-led jazz quartet along with a top-notch brass quartet for a notable experience.

Keberle's double quartet sizzles from start to finish, his five original compositions bringing a fresh opinion to the forum while two recent ...