Chuck Owen: Renderings

Renderings by Chuck Owen and The WDR Big Band is a remarkable jazz album that showcases the artist's mastery as a composer, arranger and bandleader. This release stands as a testament to Owen's innovative approach to jazz music blending traditional elements with modern influences to create a unique and captivating sonic experience.

The album title is an apt description of the musical approach taken by Owen, as he focuses on the works by other composers along with reprises from his own earlier work. Consequently, each track is like a musical canvas that he skillfully paints with a rich palette of harmonies, rhythms and textures. The process begins with Owen's new composition " Knife's Edge" which is pushed along at an exuberant pace by drummer Hans Dekker. Tenor saxophonist Paul Heller and trumpeter Andy Haderer demonstrate that they are top-notch technical virtuosos and understand the musical nuances of the number.

One of the three compositions submitted by a member of the Big Band is "Of Mystery and Beauty" by alto saxophonist Karolina Strassmayer. Owen's intricate and layered arrangement captures the musical world that the composer has imagined. He provides a frame for the soloists such as bassist John Goldsby to develop his creative lines that are present throughout the number. Additionally, both violinist Sara Caswell along with alto saxophonist Strassmayer were given space to explore the boundaries of the composition.

In 1941, Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra along with vocalist Frank Sinatra recorded "This Love Of Mine," which reached #3 on the Billboard pop singles chart. Just after the turn of the new millennium Owen wrote an arrangement of the tune for a small group and now he has decided to undertake a radical reimagining of the number for the Big Band, penning a chart that is intricate and harmonically layered yet open to pianist Billy Test, tenor saxophonist Heller and trumpeter Ruud Breuls to deliver on their flexible style of improvising.

So whether Owen is arranging for bassist John Goldsby's charming waltz "Fall Calls" or saxophonist Johan Horlen's swinger "Canoe," he can fuse different musical styles within the jazz framework, all of which adds a refreshing and unpredictable quality to the music. Another example of Owen's reimagining of previous arrangements is the late pianist and composer Chick Corea's composition "Arabian Nights." His prowess as an arranger is on full display through a chart that is both memorable and emotive and serves as a foundation for inventive improvisations from violinist Sara Caswell and the wailing guitarist Phillip Brämswig.

Renderings is a jazz album that successfully pushes the boundaries of the genre while paying homage to its roots, and it confirms Chuck Owen as a forward-thinking artist who has a deep respect for jazz traditions.

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