Wheeler's dramatically paced solos unfold with the cool logic of a mystic.
In the tradition of Rollins, Shorter, Coltrane & Liebman, Chicago saxophonist Brad Wheeler's deep improvisations and lyrical compositions set the tone for his first recording on Origin. After 10 years spent in Paris where he appeared with Johnny Griffin, Youssou N'Dour and Kurt Elling, Wheeler returned to Chicago in 2004 where he continues to perform with Kurt Elling, Laurence Hobgood, and with his own groups.
Track Listing:
1. Inner Vision 5:19
2. When One Has Peace 8:42
3. Journey After Hours 8:31
4. Foreign Affair 7:56
5. The Political Mistral 5:08
6. Emily's Ballad 5:45
7. The Future Was Yesterday 8:26
8. On the Outside Looking In 4:52
9. French Vacations 5:45
Performers:
Brad Wheeler - Soprano and Tenor Saxophones
Laurence Hobgood - Piano
Rob Amster - Double Bass
Frank Parker - Drums
John Moulder - Guitars
Production Info:
Produced by LAURENCE HOBGOOD
Executive Producer: MIKE ELLIS
Recorded August 8 & 9, 2002 at HINGE, Chicago, Illinois
Engineered by STEVE JOHNSON
Mixed by LAURENCE HOBGOOD, BRAD WHEELER & STEVE JOHNSON
Mastered by DANNY LEAKE
Cover photography by TODD BISHOP
Musician photos by RUSSELL F. BARTMES
Layout & design by JOHN BISHOP
Reviews of The Future Was Yesterday
All About Jazz (Dan McClenaghan)
The Future Was Yesterday opens with a bass/drum knock and rumble, churning ahead with a loose momentum. A bit after a minute into the song "Inner Vision" the piano chords in with some gentle chimes, and you know right off you're listening to a hell of a rhythm section. Then Brad Wheeler blows into the mix on a robust and searching tenor, and you kn ...
All Music Guide (Adam Greenburg)
After a powerful drum solo opens, The Future Was Yesterday, the debut album for Chicago/Paris sax player Brad Wheeler, the sax kicks in and one immediately is taken by the sound of a developed John Coltrane. As the album progresses, Wheeler takes more of his own direction and relies less on sheer emulation of the 'Trane. However, he keeps a very ti ...
Jazz Review (Nathan Holaway)
Brad Wheeler better have a huge appetite because the world is definitely his oyster. Not only is Wheeler an ace saxophonist, but a great contemporary and progressive composer. He is one of the shining voices for the future, who is insurmountably steeped in the traditions of the past. The listener can hear faint echoes of Coltrane and Shorter, as we ...
Chicago Reader (Neil Tesser)
Chicago saxist Brad Wheeler plays with an infectious passion, but it's rooted as much in musical intellect as it is in his broad, swaggering tone on both tenor and soprano. Wheeler's name might ring a bell: he grew up in the Chicago suburbs and hit the local scene hard and fast in the 80's, but after he moved to Paris in 1990 his work all but vanis ...
JazzTimes April 2006 (David Franklin)
Although John Coltrane was a primary inspiration, Chicago tenorist/sopranoist Brad Wheeler has honed his Coltrane-influenced tone into a thing of beauty all his own. His exquisite diminuendos as the tone evenly fades away demonstrate a control rarely encountered with today's saxophonists. And his sound is smooth and even throughout his instrument ...
Jazz Magazine France (Robert Laxtague)
One notices immediately after listening to this cd the influence of the disciples of Coltrane. Brad Wheeler, an unique tenor saxophonist, has a strong sound, with a soft vibrato. A Chicago musician, he has the blues in his playing, joined by an appropriate guitarist. Near to Von Freeman, often present next to Kurt Elling, arranger and teacher known ...
The Kurt Elling Forum (Rev)
Wanting to stock up on as much of Laurence's playing as I could get before his move out to NY, I asked him at the last Mill show if his Catch 35 gig was still going. He recommended that I hit Klas Restaurant in Cicero that Saturday afternoon, as Brad Wheeler had set up a gig there. This was quite the unique experience. Wheeler, as most of you remem ...
Radio Kerry, Ireland, December 2006 (Paddy Cunnane)
After a lengthy soujourn in Paris(10 years),Chicago saxophonist Brad Wheeler returns to the world of studio recording with an album that just demands your undivided attention.The Future was Yesterday has an immediate effect on the listener right from the get go and the overall result is almost like a head butt from a drunken Glaswegian soccer fan.A ...
Cadence, December 2006 (Jim Santella)
Brad Wheeler's original compositions fill The Future Was Yesterday with the kind of tension and release that drives much of modern Jazz. The walking bass and ride cymbal provide release, while the leader's tight saxophone lines and the pianist's forceful harmonic landscapes color the session with a balanced palette. Guitarist John Moulder, who appe ...
