Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Chris Thompson: Red Morning Rise

Chris Thompson: Red Morning Rise

By Jim Santella
September 30, 2005
View read count

Trumpeter Chris Thompson surrounds the satin-smooth tone of his horn with an array of contemporary musical sounds, both hip-hop and contemporary. Synthesized sounds and mechanical rhythms push his trumpet into the background at times, and they tend to be overwhelming. While the trumpeter's free-flowing melodies soar with a relaxed ease, his horn features are relegated to the background by a massive army of accompanying band sounds.

"Red Morning Rise" introduces exotic sounds from around the world as Thompson brings his trumpet into accord with the session's balance. Here, with the help of multitracking, he turns his open horn loose to roam free, while carrying a significant share of the composition's dynamic force.

A veteran of the New York jazz scene, Thompson, 47, attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston and earned his Fine Arts degree from City College of New York. The effusive Latin jazz scene of the city has captured his professional attention. It shows up in the manner in which the trumpeter pairs his horn's melodies with fiery rhythms and fast action.

"Journey by Night" borrows from the classic Miles Davis muted repertoire, while "Playground" hails from urban streets and hip-hop attire. Throughout most of the session, Thompson lets his melodies flow with open horn and a free spirit that respects lyric responsibility.

Audio samples are available from Chris Thompson on the web.

Track Listing

Shaken and Stirred; Watchdogs; Bossa Bayati; Shallow Waters; Playground; Red Morning Rise; Journey by Night; Double Up; Angel in the Middle.

Personnel

Chris Thompson

trumpet

Chris Thompson: trumpet, bass, guitar, drums, keyboards, organ, congas.

Album information

Title: Red Morning Rise | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Groove Trumpet

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Something Like Now
< Previous

Nihm
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.