Introducing trumpeter Nick Roseboro’s Passageway, Coming (July 2012)

Tags

Jarod Kashkin, Jorge Roeder, Nick Roseboro, Rogerio Boccato, Travis Reuter

Nick Roseboro, PASSAGEWAY

Born in Seattle, Nick was inspired to play music from his teacher Robert E. Knatt and Nick’s own friends in middle school. After joining the Garfield High School Jazz Band under direction of Clarence Acox, Nick moved to New York City to study with the likes of Eddie Henderson, Billy Harper, Charles Tolliver, and Rachel Z at New School University.

Now based out of Brooklyn, Nick has been molding his new quintet since 2007, featuring some the freshest young musicians on the scene. The Nick Roseboro Quintet features Travis Reuter on guitar, Jarod Kashkin on piano, Jorge Roeder on bass, and Rogério Boccato on drums.

Travis Reuter -][- ROTATIONAL TEMPLATES

Tags

Bobby Avey, Chris Tordin, Guitar, Jason Nazary, Jazz, Jeremy Viner, Travis Reuter

Travis Reuter ROTATIONAL TEMPLATES

Travis Reuter -][- ROTATIONAL TEMPLATES – [New Focus Recordings, 2011] – Music Reviewed

Visionary, composer and guitarist Travis Reuter has sculpted an impressive canvas of inimitable, expressive and complex tones co-exist in the body of improvised music on his latest offering “Rotational Templates.”

As I listen to the heartfelt yet multifaceted entities exposed throughout I had to take a closer look at what this involves and look beyond the scope of his technical ability to grasp the idea that this music was not merely comprise for technique purposes alone but most importantly the music comes from his heart!

From my perspective, “Rotational Templates” contains five infallible nuggets that are harmonically challenging. Moreover, this repertoire of songs is brilliantly executed by this multi-talented ensemble via their inventiveness and meticulous dialogue enabled them to transmit these odd-measured and impressionistic shapes and form them in a way the average listener can encompass this abstract soundscape.

Curtis MacDonald -][- COMMUNITY IMMUNITY

Tags

Andrea Tynic, Becca Stevens, Chris Tordini, Curtis McDonald, David Virelles, Greg Ritchie, Jazz, Jeremy Viner, Michal Vanoucek, Saxophone, Travis Reuter

Curtis MacDonald -][- COMMUNITY IMMUNITY – [Greenleaf Music, 2011] Music Review

Saxophonist Greg Osby said, “Curtis MacDonald is a saxophonist of note, one who is worthy of great recognition.”

From the meeting, it was obvious within a lingering few notes of “COMMUNITY IMMUNITY” Curtis MacDonald was here to solidify his presence as a composer and saxophonist to immediately challenge virtually any new and seasoned jazz enthusiast who dare travel this path with this intriguing, young and inventive artist from Alberta, Canada.

Currently residing in New York, MacDonald debuts with the innovative yet fundamentally sound “COMMUNITY IMMUNITY” on Greenleaf Music. The album title derives from the idea of belonging to a community of talented musicians, this of course is crucial particularly for aspiring musicians.

While listening to this auspicious array of songs by MacDonald, I noticed the selections composed by him are very short in length. Maybe it’s a standard or unwritten rule for artists in this genre to record songs that are decidedly longer. Nonetheless, MacDonald was obviously moved to do otherwise and focus more on substance whether then appearance which is a quite refreshing approach to recording modern jazz and improvised music that boldly reflects the energy of his creative soul.

New Focus Recordings announces the release of Rotational Templates, the debut recording from New York City based guitarist and composer Travis Reuter

Tags

Guitar, Jazz, New Focus Recordings, Travis Reuter

Travis Reuter

New Focus Recordings announces the release of Rotational Templates, the debut recording from New York City based guitarist and composer Travis Reuter. The music on Rotational Templates, though written for jazz quintet, is inspired by contemporary classical music and draws heavily on influences from the music of composers Elliott Carter, Brian Ferneyhough, and Jason Eckardt. Reuter’s compositions focus on abstract forms, complex rhythmic structures, timbre, and polytonality, while continuing to explore the improviser’s role in a traditional setting. Each composition experiments with combinations of form, counterpoint, and non repetitive devices for improvisation.

And yet this music definitely does not sound academic – quite the contrary, it pulses with an aggressive urban energy that has become somewhat of a sonic badge for this emerging generation of young experimental jazz musicians. Underlying this approach is an implicit skepticism of the aesthetics of the mainstream jazz establishment and a deep hunger to integrate elements from other forward Clooking genres. Reuter’s guitar style itself is indicative of this voracity: his sound, use of effects pedals, and angular melodic patterns associate him with such experimental jazz guitarists as John Abercrombie, Allan Holdsworth, and Ben Monder, all of whom similarly looked outside of the Wes Montgomery/Joe Pass tradition for guidance.