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BEN ALLISON & MEDICINE WHEEL: BUZZ Palmetto Records (PM2101) Ben Allison - Bass Michael Blake - Saxophones Ted Nash - Saxophone, Flute Clark Gayton - Trombone Frank Kimbrough - Piano Michael Sarin - Drums List of Tunes: |
 Respiration Buzz |
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#1 on CMJ Jazz Radio Charts for 4 weeks.
Ben Allison is a jazz bassist and composer who doesn't so much straddle boundaries as ignore them. This is AllisonÕs specialty. Fusing together unlikely intervals, patterns, melodies, genres into a lively, complex, melodic, swinging whole. It's unclear how the cart holds together so seamlessly, but it does. | ||
| - Fred Kaplan,The Absolute Sound | ||
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BEN ALLISON's PEACE PIPE: PEACE PIPE Palmetto Records (PM2086) Ben Allison - Bass Mamadou Diabate - Kora Michael Blake - Saxophones Frank Kimbrough - Piano Michael Sarin - Drums List of Tunes: |
Third Rail |
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#1 on CMJ Jazz Radio Charts for 7 weeks (Top 10 for 22 weeks) | ||
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In light of such astonishing artistry from Ben Allison, this Peace Pipe deserves to get passed around. | ||
| - Drew Wheeler, Senior Editor,CDNow | ||
| Peace Pipe makes some of the best music of the young but accomplished composer's career to date. | ||
| - Ben Ratliff, New York Times | ||
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Enough already with labeling bassist Ben Allison in the 'talent-deserving-wider-recognition' classification. He has certainly arrived. | ||
| - Mark Corroto, All About Jazz | ||
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BEN ALLISON & MEDICINE WHEEL: RIDING THE NUCLEAR TIGER Palmetto Records (PM2067) Ben Allison - Bass Michael Blake - Saxophones Ted Nash - Saxophones Tomas Ulrich - Cello Jeff Ballard - Drums Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ron Horton - Trumpet List of Tunes: |
Riding the Nuclear Tiger |
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SECOND MOST-PLAYED CD OF 2001 (TOP 5 - CMJ Jazz Radio Charts for over 4 months! Ben Allison has done it again, expertly guiding his ensemble, Medicine Wheel, through labyrinths of these strong new compositions. there's a multifaceted brilliance at work here: a stunning display of melodic gifts and sheer instrumental ability, a mastery of orchestrational detail, and an aesthetic of celebration amid the music's high seriousness. [He] is one of the few young players and composers truly to have transcended the futile debate between jazz traditionalists and radicals. | ||
| - David Adler, All Music Guide | ||
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A band that knows exactly what it is doing at all times. Allison's compositions are complex yet slyly surprising - you don't realize exactly how catchy they are until you find yourself humming them. A stellar album. | ||
| - Lee Gardner, NPR Jazz Reviews | ||
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Savor the delicate machinations of composer-bassist Ben Allison .. [in] . . a set rich with subtleties. | ||
| - Chip Deffaa, Entertainment Weekly | ||
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One of the "Top Ten Jazz CDs" of 2000. OK, so this CD sneaks in early . . but it too good to be excluded. We've come to expect surprising yet songful tunes from Allison, a 30-ish New York bassist, as well as virtuosic renderings from his group Medicine Wheel. This latest disc, however, may be his best. It's chockfull of fresh, appealing grooves, passionate soloing, and sonic novelties. | ||
| - Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen | ||
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More mature, beautiful and soulful than past work, Riding The Nuclear Tiger is a significant next step in this great young musician's evolution. | ||
| - Tad Hendrickson, CMJ New Music Report | ||
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BEN ALLISON & MEDICINE WHEEL: THIRD EYE Palmetto Records (PM2054) Ben Allison - Bass Michael Blake - Saxophones Ted Nash - Saxophones Tomas Ulrich - Cello Jeff Ballard - Drums Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ron Horton - Trumpet Ara Dinkjian - Oud, Cumbus List of Tunes: |
Mantra |
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Critics' Pick/Top Ten Jazz Recordings of 1999: The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Village Voice, The Newark Star-Ledger, Jazziz, Absolute Sound, All About Jazz One of the most original voices in modern jazz. . . Allison has cut a unique path in progressive jazz with a smart combination of lyrical composition and vivid tone-colors. | ||
| - Drew Wheeler, CDNow | ||
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One of the "25 musicians for the future." | ||
| - Downbeat (Cover story, June 1999) | ||
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Allison along with his superfine ensemble are destined to become one of the benchmarks or measuring sticks for modern day jazz composers. Third Eye is among the very best of 99. ***** | ||
| - Glenn Astarita, www.allaboutjazz.com | ||
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[Third Eye] is one of the most thoughtful jazz programs to come along all year, it bets the farm on fragmentation, juxtaposition, and contiguousness. Allison listens to the conflicting sounds around him, muses judiciously, and turns a bunch of pebbles into a grand monument. | ||
| - Jim Macnie, JAZZIZ | ||
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Allison, a young bassist, is doing what jazz composers should, ideally, do: remain open to music of all kinds, including what young people outside the jazz realm are listening to, and work it into ambitious, energetic compositions that do not condescend or underestimate an audience's intelligence. | ||
| - Ben Ratliff, New York Times | ||
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BEN ALLISON & MEDICINE WHEEL: MEDICINE WHEEL Palmetto Records (PM2038) Ben Allison - Bass Michael Blake - Saxophones Ted Nash - Saxophones Tomas Ulrich - Cello Jeff Ballard - Drums Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ron Horton - Trumpet List of Tunes: |
Spy |
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Critics' Pick/Top Ten Jazz
Recordings of 1998: Jazziz, Cadence
One of the most impressive records of 1998. Live with the versatility of Medicine Wheel and you'll believe Allison can incorporate almost any musical motif into his work | ||
| - Jim Macnie, JAZZIZ | ||
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Allison and his bandmates have given us a here-and-now glimpse into the shape of jazz to come. | ||
| - David Prince, CDNow Web Site | ||
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"TOP TEN" Best of the Year award 1998 | ||
| JAZZIZ | ||
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An ingenious, aggressive player and sharp new-jazz composer. . . Allison's got nervy ideas about the state of music and is using his forward-thinking ensemble to implement them. | ||
| - Steve Futterman, Sidewalk New York | ||
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BEN
ALLISON:
SEVEN ARROWS Koch Jazz (7832) Ben Allison - Bass Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ted Nash - Saxophones Ron Horton - Trumpet Tim Horner - Drums List of Tunes: |
Dragzilla |
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The Ben Allison Quintet . . . boasts a supreme level of musicianship. Allison is a bassist of subtle dazzle. | ||
| - Fred Kaplan, FI | ||
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[A] remarkable debut. Seven Arrows will surely be viewed as a vital document from an important jazz composer in the years to come. | ||
| - John Murph, JazzTimes | ||
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Boasting seven startling original tunes by Allison, Seven Arrows is one of the finest small-group jazz discs released last year. | ||
| - Joe Vanderford, The Independent, Chapel Hill, NC | ||
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FRANK KIMBROUGH / JOE
LOCKE DUO:
THE WILLOW OmniTone (12201) Frank Kimbrough - Piano Joe Locke - Vibraphone, Marimba with Tim Ries - Saxophones Jeff Ballard - Drums and Percussion List of Tunes: |
Pick Up Sticks |
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FRANK
KIMBROUGH:
NOUMENA Soul Note (121318) Frank Kimbrough - Piano Scott Robinson - Tenor & Bass Saxes Ben Monder - Guitar Tony Moreno - Drums and Percussion List of Tunes: |
Quiet As It's Kept |
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First Live Jazz Composers Collective Concert released
on CD!!
There's nothing hurried about these compositions and improvisations - and often you can't tell the two apart. Yet there remains an ever present twilit tension and subtle call and response here that's as dramatic as your next breath. | ||
| - Bill Smith, Jazzreview.com | ||
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Pianist/Composer Frank Kimbrough's 'Noumena' is an amazing display of spontaneity, interesting textures, and skillful interpretation from four masterful musicians - an internal journey that conjures up images of time and space. | ||
| - jazzonline.com | ||
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A major statement - I love the record! | ||
| - Maurice Hogue, CKUW, Winnipeg | ||
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FRANK
KIMBROUGH:
CHANT IGMOD (49807) Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ben Allison - Bass Jeff Ballard - Drums List of Tunes: |
Feet Music |
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If Kimbrough and company's Collective is geared towards erasing the lines between composer and player, this recording is a meaningful addition to their manifesto. | ||
| - Larry Blumenfeld, JAZZIZ | ||
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We could have hoped for a whole generation of pianists working these fertile grounds, but even if we had been so lucky, I think this record would stand out. | ||
| - Duck Baker, JazzTimes | ||
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FRANK KIMBROUGH/ JOE LOCKE: SATURN's CHILD Omnitone (11901) Frank Kimbrough - Piano Joe Locke - Vibraphone List of Tunes: |
Sanibel Island Saturn's Child |
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Critics' Pick/Top Ten Jazz Recordings of 1999: Jazz
Online
[Saturn's Child] is a refreshingly unique and intimate piano/vibes duo . . .thought provoking and extremely enjoyable. This shining collaboration shows that great peace (and even joy) resides in deep introspection and reflection. | ||
| - Joe Vella, Jazz Online | ||
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TED
NASH:
SIDEWALK MEETING Arabesque (AJ0156) Ted Nash - Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet Bill Schimmel - Accordion Wycliffe Gordon - Tuba, Trombone Miri Ben-Ari - Violin Jeff Ballard - Drums Matt Wilson - Drums List of Tunes: |
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TED
NASH:
RHYME & REASON Arabesque (AJ0146) Ted Nash - Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Alto Flute Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ben Allison - Bass Tim Horner - Drums Joyce Hammann - Violin Miri Ben-Ari - Violin Ron Lawrence - Viola Tomas Ulrich - Cello Erik Charlston - Vibes/Percussion Special Guest: Wynton Marsalis - Trumpet List of Tunes: |
Apollo 9 |
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Critics' Pick/Top Ten Jazz Recordings of 1999: JazzTimes,
Jazziz, The Village Voice, All about
Jazz
Incorporating trumpet, vibraphone, incidental percussion, and a string quartet in addition to the core quartet allows Nash to fruitfully explore uncommon textural fancies. It's an imperative, since Rhyme and Reason is the work of an imaginative composer and orchestrator as well as a smart improviser. | ||
| - Steve Futterman, Jazziz | ||
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The compositions, inspired, Nash tells us, by the interplay of his two children, are deeply layered in counterpoint that makes good use of the ensemble. . . Nash has created some stunning settings for improvisation. His playing is broadly sourced and often inspired. | ||
| - Bill Bennett, JazzTimes | ||
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Nash has created music that is jazz based but stretches into several different areas. It's new music in every sense, has a universal appeal, unquestioned high level musicianship, and intrigue. | ||
| - Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide | ||
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MICHAEL
BLAKE:
ELEVATED Knitting Factory (KFW304) Michael Blake - Saxophones Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ben Allison - Bass Mike Mazor - Drums List of Tunes: |
Elevated |
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MICHAEL
BLAKE:
DRIFT Intuition (3213) Michael Blake - Tenor & Soprano Saxophones Peck Allmond - Tenor Saxophone, Peck Horn, Trumpet Briggan Krauss - Alto & Baritone Saxophones Ron Horton - Trumpet & Flugelhorn Marcus Rojas - Tuba Steven Bernstein - Slide Trumpet Frank Kimbrough - Piano Tony Scherr - Electric Guitar Ben Allison - Acoustic Bass Matt Wilson - Drums Mauro Refosco - Percussion List of Tunes: |
Mean as a Swan Lady Red |
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Blake's strengths reside within his ability to merge the tried and true into his deeply personal style and shrewdly envisioned concepts that seemingly transform his art and craft to lofty heights. The band¼s crackerjack musicianship only enhances the overall scope of this mighty fine production. Vehemently recommended! | ||
| - Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz | ||
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Drift is a word used to describe a nebulous, uncontrolled action -- but in Michael Blake's case, it represents a very thoughtful, deliberate, and well-executed effort. | ||
| - Drew Wheeler, CDNow.com | ||
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MICHAEL
BLAKE:
KINGDOM OF CHAMPA Intuition (3189) Michael Blake - Saxophones, Bass Clarinet Steven Bernstein - Trumpet, Cornet, Slide Trumpet Thomas Chapin - Flutes, Piccolo, Baritone Sax Marcus Rojas - Tuba David Tronzo - Slide Guitar Rufus Cappadocia - Cello Bryan Carrott - Vibraphone Tony Scherr - Electric and Acoustic Bass, Moonlute Billy Martin - Percussion Scott Neumann - Drums List of Tunes: |
Folksong Mekong |
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Ancient to the future continuity, doled out in a subversively vivacious manner. | ||
| - Jim Macnie, Village Voice | ||
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Blake's songs on Kingdom of Champa are displays of soul-searching; the life-changing seriousness of putting oneself into a completely new situation, and of taking a risk for the expansion of the self is what seems to be represented here, and what marks this album as being the type serious music listeners search for. | ||
| - Josephine Ochej, Jazz Review | ||
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RON
HORTON:
GENIUS ENVY OmniTone (11902) Ron Horton - Trumpet, Flugelhorn Jane Ira Bloom - Soprano Saxophone John McKenna - Tenor Saxophone Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ben Allison - Bass Rich Rosenzweig - Drums List of Tunes: |
Carla Blake Long-Term Memories |
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Horton's complex yet melodic music balances enough facets that it's endlessly fascinating. | ||
| - Steve Holtje, Jazziz | ||
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For his debut recording as a leader, Horton pushes the progressive mainstream envelope with his witty music, brimming with vigor, soul and risk taking. A flawless technical player, Horton's lyrical lines and steadfast approach to pure melody and harmonic invention earmarks this recording not only as his breakthrough, but a potent reminder there's still original music to be discovered in modern jazz. | ||
| - Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide | ||
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Genius Envy bears the imprint of patience and maturity as well as historical literacy. | ||
| - Ben Ratliff, New York Times | ||
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Horton's music is tremendously narrative, providing ingenious setups that grow into all sorts of dramatic developments--oddly timed rhythmic interludes, gutsy plunger-mute trumpet solos, and chamberesque commentaries on a slow-going bass solo--before resolving into sheer, smart works. Horton's debut holds a wealth of promise. | ||
| - Andrew Bartlett, Amazon.com | ||
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On Genius Envy Horton shines as a formidable composer, arranger and leader while acting as a catalyst of sorts for what is most assuredly a "group" effort. | ||
| - Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz | ||
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HERBIE NICHOLS
PROJECT:
STRANGE CITY Palmetto (PM2077) Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ben Allison - Bass Ron Horton - Trumpet Michael Blake - Soprano Saxophone Ted Nash - Tenor Saxophone Wycliffe Gordon - Trombone Matt Wilson - Drums List of Tunes: |
Delights Karna Kangi |
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HERBIE
NICHOLS PROJECT:
DR. CYCLOPS' DREAM Soul Note (121333) Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ben Allison - Bass Ted Nash - Saxophones, Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute Michael Blake - Saxophones Ron Horton - Trumpet Tim Horner - Drums List of Tunes: |
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Critics' Pick/Top Ten Jazz Recordings of 1999: New
York Newsday, JazzTimes, The Village Voice,
CDNow
Creative instrumentation abounds . . . All these musicians are top-flight soloists . . . Dr. Cyclops' Dream is wonderful evidence of these players' creativity, as well as Nichols' genius. | ||
| - Duck Baker, JazzTimes | ||
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Can a sequel be even better than the original? With the Jazz Composers Collective, it's no problem. Their thrilling arrangements of Herbie Nichols' forgotten compositions provide an invaluable service to history while taking your imagination out for a brisk, early-morning run. | ||
| - Gene Seymour, New York Newsday | ||
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The Herbie Nichols Project is able to innovate and preserve in a single measure. | ||
| - David Adler, All About Jazz | ||
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HERBIE NICHOLS
PROJECT:
LOVE IS PROXIMITY Soul Note (121313) Ted Nash - Saxophones, Clarinet Ron Horton - Trumpet Frank Kimbrough - Piano Ben Allison - Bass Jeff Ballard - Drums List of Tunes: |
Love Is Proximity Trio Love, Gloom, Cash, Love |
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Every track is indicative of an approach to the music that reflects what must have been years of work. The arrangements are stunning. The individual musicians are all outstanding. | ||
| - Duck Baker, JazzTimes | ||
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Love Is Proximity captures the depth of Nichols' compositions with respect, beauty, and the sort of kinetic group improvisation that only comes from years of shared experience. | ||
| - Ken Micallef, Jazziz | ||
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Thanks to the Herbie Nichols Project, the music of this overlooked master is given its best realization to date. . . [A] doubly valuable and rewarding listening experience. | ||
| - Gene Kalbacher, CMJ New Music Report | ||
