Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Matt Newton: PUSH

295

Matt Newton: PUSH

By

Sign in to view read count
Matt Newton: PUSH
Toronto, Canada-based pianist Matt Newton comes up with a convincing performance on his debut, PUSH. Born in Ottawa, Newton started on classical music before he moved to jazz. After his education, he began playing gigs at clubs and at the jazz festivals in Toronto and in Ottawa, appearing as a sideman on two CDs. With that under his belt, Newton decided to get his own CD in the works.

Newton's music reflects his sense for melody and his ability to weave a string of stirring ideas over a compact under-layer of chords. The program balances his compositions deftly to lend them a nice overview.

Petr Cancura (saxophones), a fine cohort, sets up "Take Aim" with a potent evolution of the melody. He vents a stark atmosphere of phrases on tensile turnstiles. Newton adds to the ambiance, diffusing his runs across a well defined canvas that is blobbed with sharp interjecting chords. When Cancura returns to unfurl a heady beacon of flying lines, the intensity roils and leads into a slamming climax.

The gentle side of the band is profiled on "Through Valleys," a ballad that is set up by Newton with a wistful, delicate air. His interaction with Mark McIntyre (bass) and Ethan Ardelli (drums) is seamless, the dynamics stirring a soft fall of colors.

"Push" evolves constantly. Cancura's tonality is dark and sharp, scouring alleyways and springing quick surprises. Newton moves from that though, augmenting the tune with a lighter devolution before slamming down and getting into a meatier pulse. The composition is molded by the vision of the players to bring in an indelible presence.

If Newton continues with the same commitment and focus, he will be one to watch. .

Track Listing

Take Aim; Second Wind; Through Valleys; Tides of the Mainland; Push; Hymn for Kim; Blue (the colour).

Personnel

Matt Newton: piano; Petr Cancura: saxophones; Mark McIntyre: bass; Ethan Ardelli: drums.

Album information

Title: PUSH | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Fire Town Music

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.