Ken Fowser/Behn Gillece Quintet

Ken Fowser/Behn Gillece (sax; vibes)


Getting excited about new jazz music is very easy for me. While there are very few artists who are trying to reinvent the wheel; there are quite a few that just trying to keep tradition alive and sounding fresh. One of those groups is the Ken Fowser/Behn Gillece Quintet.


One of the instruments outside of the piano and saxophone that I love the most is the vibraphone. It may seem like an easy instrument to incorporate into the mix of any group but you would be gravely mistaken. It does add an ethereal element to mix but it is difficult to get it to the point where the instrument is one of the leading parts of the group. The greatest players, Bobby Hutcherson, Lionel Hampton, Gary Burton, Dave Pike, Milt Jackson to today's new guard, Joe Locke, Jason Adasiewicz, Stefon Harris, Mike Mainieri and Steve Nelson have made it look easy. While all of these artists (past and present) have shined as leaders; they have had the dueling counterparts to accompany them and challenge them.


Now I think we are all about to stumble upon another group that hopefully will stand the test of time and be mentioned in the breath with the new guard of vibraphonists and their co-leaders. Ken Fowser and Behn Gillece already with two albums under their belt are those co-leaders who really posed for much larger attention.


Seeing Ken Fowser and Behn Gillece live fully convinced me that this pairing, with a bit of longevity could live up to some of the great groups like Chick Corea/Gary Burton, Milt Jackson/John Coltrane, Bobby Hutcherson/Herbie Hancock, etc. Big lofty claims--maybe. But this quintet is the real deal.

Both Both Fowser and Behn Gillece honed their skills together in Philadelphia before continuing their studies in New York. They performed together and separately with various local groups in the late 2000s but it wasn't until 2009 that they paired up and released their first record together as the Fowser/Gillece Quintet with the debut Full View (PosiTone Records).


Full View featured veteran pianist and One For All member, the great, Dave Hazeltine, Adam Cote on bass and Paul Francis on drums. While the majority of the music is written by Gillece you wouldn't really notice it because its so fluidly perfected for both sax and vibes that you don't realize who really is the leader on any particular piece.

Full View is a wonderful and exciting debut, rich with a modern hard bop, romantic styles that shows these guys know exactly what their doing and where they want to take the listener.

"The Hutch" gets the proceedings jumpin' and immediate interaction between Fowser and Gillece shows that they have worked together for years. Fowser then takes the lead and shows some impressive chops with Hazeltine handling rhythm masterfully in the background. Fowser then turns the duo over to Gillece and Hazeltine. Cote and Francis rise later to the occasion, both with considerable voice and emotion. As expected Fowser and Gillece close this out on a gentle but still uptempo note.

On "Act Of Disguise" the group adds a little funkier groove but it's still in the hard bop tradition. Hazeltine's solo work here fabulous. "Act Of Disguise" could settle nicely on a Hazeltine or Eric Alexander record. The group perform a lovely rendition of Mal Waldron's "Soul Eyes" that with the element of vibes makes this already sombre piece seem a bit more ethereal and kind of uplifting. A precious moment indeed.

Ken Fowser's "Two Pair" features some great work from Adam Cote on bass in addition to Fowser and Gillece's seamless communication making them almost the same note inside your head. It's a young group outside of the veteran Hazeltine but they perform with a maturity that is far beyond their years.

That maturity would soon explode wide open with their latest release, Little Echo (PosiTone Records). This time out with a whole new lineup featuring young but also veterans in the New York jazz scene, Quincy Davis (drums), Ugonna Okegwo (bass) and Rick Germanson (piano). Okegwo recently performed with saxophonist, Alexander McCabe and pianist, Uri Caine (on McCabe's Quiz album), Germanson has been lighting up the scene for awhile now with his own group and the always dynamic, Quincy Davis (worked with Tom Harrell, Walt Weiskopf and Ted Rosenthal) has added a unique timbre to this session.

While "Resolution" sets a swingin' tone on the outset, its the Fowser penned "Ninety Five" that really shows the collaboration of Fowser and Gillece have taken the step up from Full View. The playing is more bold and well developed. Fowser and Gillece sound fully comfortable and the rest of the group are higher up in the mix and involved from every note. The material on Little Echo is for each member and each member stands out more as a result.While Full View had the classic mixture of originals and interesting covers, Little Echo screams with colourful and expressive self-penned material.

"Sap" is a fiery piece which Gillece and Gemanson have some great back and forth conversations. Gemanson is the real revelation for me form this session. His playing is solid with a really high energetic voice. The whole group gets in on this one with some fantastic solo performances both from Germanson, Davis and Fowser. And while Okegwo's bass may sound down in the background you can hear he's tearing it up as well.

"Vigilance" is another moment in which the quintet delivers a sizzling performance and you really get a feel for how Fowser and Gillece interact with the rhythm section on their respective parts. Gillece is killer with Davis and Germanson while Fowser is a bit more refined letting the rest of group construct the colour and shape around him. But together the quintet is smokin' and you really want "Vigilance" to go another five minutes.

"You" is a lovely midtempo piece where you don't really notice the leaders as much as you notice the cohesion of the quintet. At this point you realize this is probably the quintet that should record together all the time. It's a group that challenges and follows each other with a dynamic and unique vision and a sound that is beautiful in execution and hopeful together again despite the commitments of the various groups they all oversee.

Both Ken Fowser and Behn Gillece perform separately and together throughout New York City (mainly Smoke and Smalls in particular). You need to check them out because it's the live experience that will really make the final connection for you. This duo is and will be formidable for year to come. Little Echo is a great document of quick maturity from the first album and a real statement on the quality of the new generation of jazz. Excellent stuff.

Irene Schweizer

Irene Schweizer (piano; b. 1941)
Portrait (Intakt Records; 2005)


One artist that I have been really late getting into was Swedish native, Irene Schweizer. I own a few records that she is a guest musician on but never venture into her own material. I think a lot of it had to do with my noticing how many albums she had and not knowing where to start. Then I was in a record store and randomly looking around (money burning in pocket to be spent) and I stumbled across what would turn out to be a really great compilation, entitled Portrait (Intakt Records). And I've been listening repeatedly ever since.


Irene Schweizer's style is firmly set in improvisation but she weaves between traditional and free jazz quite smoothly. There is a direct, forceful nature to the way she handles the keys but you can hear her mission is to take you to a different place altogether.


Schweizer has been compared to Cecil Taylor throughout her career but I'm starting to think that is truly unfair. Portrait covers material done with duos, trio, quartets and solo. The more interesting pieces for me are the duos. The settings are challenging and Schweizer plays and battles with the best of them (Fred Anderson, Hamid Drake, Andrew Cyrille, Louis Moholo, Hans Bennink and more).


Portrait begins with the wonderful solo piece "Sisterhood Of Spit" which feels like an Earl "Fatha" Hines or Thelonious Monk piece. It's jumpin', thoroughly intuitive and is the best evidence that she should not be compared to Mr. Taylor (not that there's anything wrong with that). The mix of collaborations and solo material on Portrait is perfectly balance and gives an excellent example of Schweizer's capabilities in various settings. "Willisau" performed with a trio including Fred Anderson (sax) and Hamid Drake (drums) is a brilliant piece of improvisation. A dueling interplay between all three musicians where each stands tall but never seem to overtake the other. Schweizer's performance is complex but with a great deal of rhythm.


Schweizer delivers a great version of Monk's "Hackensack" as a duo with drummer Han Bennink which almost feels like a tribute to New Orleans thanks to Bennink's timing. Schweizer's arrangement stays true to the original but with a little more improvising and surprisingly more buoyancy than the original (if you can believe it).


The most diverse piece on this compilation is "Come Along, Charles" recorded as the trio Les Diaboliques, featuring the magnificent Maggie Nichols (voice) and Joelle Leandre (bass). It's a short piece and only gives a brief taste of the full live performance. Schweizer's playing standouts here because of the subtly. Unlike the other settings, she allows Nichols and Leandre to take the fore. "Come Along, Charles" is a nice bit of classical avant garde.


I have a feeling a lot of you may be like me in that you didn't know where to start with Irene Schweizer's music. I have to say Portrait is a great primer and entry point. After this I would suggest any of the duo recordings. Portrait was a great find for me. I hope that you guys can find it as well. Enjoy...

Hugo Carvalhais...WOW!

Hugo Carvalhais (double bass, electronics; b. 1978)
Nebulosa (Clean Feed Records, 2010)
Gabriel Pinto (piano)
Mario Costa (drums)
Tim Berne (sax)


You know those situations where you are about two songs in and you know this album is going to be amazing before the second song is even finished playing? Well, I've been having that moment every since I put Nebulosa (Clean Feed) into the CD player. Hugo Carvalhais' debut as leader is really phenomenal. The compositions have a depth and electricity that captures your attention immediately. All this from a musician who is self taught on double bass.


The use of electronics are integral to the compositions but are delicate and never overwhelming to the structure of the tunes. The electronic element gives the album an atmospheric nature built inside of acoustic improvisation that the group delivers, especially on "Nebulosa I." "Nebulosa I" has some wonderful moments presented by Pinto on synths sounding like Herbie Hancock circa Headhunters, and some excellent exploratory phrasing by guest member, Tim Berne. Carvalhais adds subtle touches in background like a young Miroslav Vitous or Eberhard Weber. Carvalhais and Costa increase the pressure as the group hits a beautiful piece of cacophony towards the end.


On "Impala" Pinto and Carvalhais share some interplay and utilize space to maximize effect. The overall impact is emotional but its masked wonderfully in an appropriate amount of lyricism on Carvalhais' part. And while there is a lot of experimentation going on throughout Nebulosa, there is a definitely a large dose of structure as well. This is crystallized on "Nebulosa III" and "Cobalto", where the group stay in traditional format and pace with the exception of one member crafting designs along the edges. Costa stretches broadly on "Cobalto" while Berne has well a constructed explosion of sound after what is essential a Pinto solo piano piece on "Nebulosa III."


The beauty of the closing number "Redemption" while short, is probably the perfect ending to an enlightening journey. A melodic piece that for me has shades of David Sylvian's instrumental work. The trio is measured but glorious in its directness. A really transcendent piece.


Hugo Carvalhais wrote all the material and surrounded himself with a supremely talented pair of musicians in Pinto and Costa. Berne's addition only adds an extra dose of excellence. Nebulosa is a masterful debut from a trio that I hope is around for long time. I'm still trying to figure out why I didn't pick up this record last year. It would have easily been in my top ten albums of the year. But anyway, it's on constant play now. Hope you have a chance to pick it up too.

The Return Of Denys Baptiste

Denys Baptiste (sax; b. 1969)

Identity By Subtraction (Dune Records)

I have been waiting for this record for a long while. It's been seven years since his third album, the epic Let Freedom Ring (Dune Records), based around the legendary speech by Martin Luther King Jr. But it doesn't matter, Denys Baptiste is back with Identity By Subtraction (Dune Records). A more intimate affair than it's predecessor, Identity By Subtraction explores just that--looking back at his history, heritage and the search for self understanding.

The intimacy of Identity By Subtraction is conveyed in Baptiste's choice of just a quartet setting unlike his previous albums which have included a large ensemble of players and vocalists. Baptiste has kept is core players with him--the increasingly important Andrew McCormack (piano), Rod Youngs (drums) and Greg Crosby (bass). On "Special Times" the quartet creates a beautiful sculpture of melodies that left me weeping and looking introspectively at my own life. "Special Times" was dedicated to his family, for which the album is essentially about. Baptiste's family has shaped his career and personal outlook in recent years and this album maybe his strongest as a result of that experience.

While Baptiste has stated Courtney Pine as one influence, I have always seen elements of Sonny Rollins throughout his music over the years. That thought showed up for me again as I listened "Dance Of The Maquiritari" which relates to his Caribbean heritage (his parents are from St. Lucia). It's a wonderfully upbeat number with island vibes moving throughout. One of the standouts for me is "Song Of You", an midtempo ballad which demonstrates Baptiste at his best on sax. His playing is bold and crisp with a sense of colour, shape and romanticism. His interplay with McCormack is superb.

Identity By Subtraction keeps a compassionate and interpersonal outlook to its proceedings but the title track and "Evolution From Revolution" both present the quartet in more uptempo scenarios. Each having some wonderful and dominant solo statements by Youngs (on Evolution...) and McCormack (on Identity...). It seems Baptiste purpose throughout Identity By Subtraction is to focus the listener on the performances and emotions of the song and not big large themes. These are quality performances from a group that has played with each other for years.

I have been listening to Identity By Subtraction at least once every other day since it came out last December only for digital (the actually CD is released next week). It's great to have Baptiste back on the scene. Identity By Subtraction is a deep and personal look inside the history of a man and a musician. But is also a statement that Baptiste is becoming one of the most important players on British jazz scene (just like Courtney Pine). No matter how long between records, it was always going to be worth the wait. Highly Recommended.