Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters

Abstract Quantities

Origin 82683



...truly a perfect match creatively.
- emusic.com

Through their first two recordings, the Belgian / American band led by pianist Bram Weijters and trumpeter Chad McCullough firmly established a musical style that's equal parts melancholic and hopeful. Along with bassist Piet Verbist and drummer John Bishop, they have built a musical bond over the past 5 years that has led them around the globe, with their continued successes due in no small part to their ability to connect with audiences. For their third album, they continue to expand their compositional and textural palette, with the opening track, "Billions" hitting the ground running, as other compositions stretch from gospel-inspired ("Glorious Traffic Jam") to pensive ("Hesitation"), and folk-like ("Winter's Lament"). The co-leaders explore an intimate duo setting on "The Same (Prelude)" and "Before Acceptance," providing a textural and tonal contrast to the full band.


Track Listing:

1. Billions
2. Still More
3. Mr Rubato
4. Glorious Traffic Jam
5. Hesitation
6. The Same Prelude
7. The Same but Different
8. Little Song (for Mirthe)
9. Winter's Lament
10. Before Acceptance
11. Acceptance or Denial

Performers:

Chad McCullough - trumpet
Bram Weijters - piano & keyboards
Piet Verbist - bass
John Bishop - drums

Production Info:

Produced by Bram Weijters & Chad McCullough
Recorded by Joel Grignard at Rubens Studio, Brussels, Belgium
Recorded on May 10th & 11th, 2014
Mixed by Chris Weeda at Studio Rapenburg, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Mastered by Brian Schwab, Chicago, IL
Cover images by Elenamiv
Artist photography by Eric Malfait
Cover Design & Layout by John Bishop


Reviews of Abstract Quantities

All About Jazz (Dan McClenaghan)
4 1/2 STARS Trumpeter Chad McCullough debuted as a leader in 2009 with the superb Dark Wood, Dark, Water (Origin Records). He's stayed busy ever since, recording with The Kora Band - inspired by the sounds of Africa - Tunnel Six, and the two horn, chordless The Spin Quartet, along with two previous modern jazz sets on Origin Records on which he te ...

Bird is the Worm (Dave Sumner)
There is a workmanlike quality to the magic this quartet creates with each recording. Abstract Quantities is the third album from the quartet led by pianist Bram Weijters and Chad McCullough, and much like the two that preceded it (2011’s Imaginary Sketches and 2012’s Urban Nightingale) they go about their job of crafting expert melodies and s ...

Midwest Record (Chris Spector)
It’s kind of funny to think in these terms but this crew has been around so long that emusic used to sing their praises. I mean it’s funny to think that’s so long ago but nanoseconds count in particle world. But the music? Emusic was right then and if they were still around, they’d be right today. This bunch continues to grow, thrive an ...

KUCI, Irvine, CA (Hobart Taylor)
Trumpeter McCullough and pianist Weijters recorded this very contemporary sounding disc last summer in Brussels. Like Robert Glasper, Vijay Iyer, The Bad Plus, and Kris Bowers, sometimes they use traditional jazz instrumentation and structure to enhance melodies and beats that might resonate for audiences weaned on acid jazz and hip-hop, for exampl ...

JazzHalo (Belgium) (Claude Loxhay)
Après "Imaginary Sketches" de 2011 et "Urban Nightingale" de 2012, voici le troisième album du quartet de Bram Weijters et Chad McCullough. On avait découvert le pianiste anversois au sein de Hamster Axis, on l'avait aussi entendu avec le Tuesday Night Orchestra, le quartet de Marjan Van Rompay, le quintet de Koen Nijs, le Misstriohso de Ma ...

Jazzflits (Netherlands) (Herman te Loo)
The title 'Abstract Quantities' can put an unsuspecting jazz lover on the wrong foot. Indeed, there is not as many abstracts to the music of the quartet of the Belgian pianist Bram Weijters and the American trumpeter Chad McCullough. Both leaders can sign for the repertoire, with haunting melodies, bright writing. Sometimes forming loving songs ( ...

Jazz Weekly (George W. Harris)
Warm-toned Chad McCullough / tp and evocative Bram Waijters / p-keys lead a subtle quartet with Piet Verbist / b and John Bishop / dr through a collection of quiet and lyrical originals. There's a bit of agitation and drive on material like "Glorious Traffic Jam," but for the most part you get sophisticated melodies gently laid out as on "Mr. Rubat ...

Cadence (Jerome Wilson)
A lot of classical and progressive rock motifs run through this CD in a set that creates quiet beauty out of simple figures in a way that suggests the music of Kenny Wheeler. Chad McCullough plays sweeping, melodic trumpet over stomping rock rhythms on "Billions" while "Mr Rubato" has the ethereal sweep of "In A Silent Way" as Bram Weijters' ...

Music Lounge - WDCB, Chicago (Paul Abella)
Trumpeter Chad McCullough made a big splash in Chicago a few months back with the debut album from his group The Spin Quartet and his album In Circles. For Chad's next release, he works with Bram Weitjers, who gets co-billing, on Abstract Quantities. Don't let the name scare you; this is a beautifully done mainstream jazz CD. "Glorious Traffic ...

JazzHalo (Belgium) (Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther)
Rough translation from German - This new album is the latest of the Quartet, which was published by De Werf Records in Belgium and Origin Records in the U.S. Previously "Imaginary Sketches" (WERF 088) and "Urban Nightingale" (WERF 108) were published and highly praised by the trade press. The audience was very impressed by these recordings by t ...

BelgienInfo (Germany) (Von Ferdinand Dupuis-Panther)
Das vorliegende aktuelle Album ist nicht das erste Album des Quartetts, das bei De W.E.R.F. Records erschienen ist. Zuvor wurden bereits „Imaginary Sketches" (W.E.R.F. 088) und „Urban Nightingale" (W.E.R.F. 108) veröffentlicht und von der einschlägigen Fachpresse hochgelobt. Auch das Publikum war von diesen Einspielungen des Pianisten Bram We ...

Improvijazzation Nation (Rotcod Zzaj)
If solid & pure jazz is what you're after, you won't find any better than this band featuring Chad's trumpet and Bram's great keyboards (along with bass from Piet Verbist and drums from John Bishop) anywhere on the globe. This is their third release… my first listen, but on tunes like the 5:35 "Hesitation", you'll hear just how sensitive the pla ...

The Soundtrack of My Life (Israel) (Adam Baruch)
This is the third album by the international quartet co-led by Belgian pianist / composer Bram Weijters and US trumpeter / composer Chad McCullough and including bassist Piet Verbist and drummer John Bishop. The album presents eleven original compositions, eight of which were composed by Weijters and three by McCullough. Two of these tunes are pian ...

New York Jazz Record (Tom Greenland)
Antwerp-based pianist Bram Weijters and Chicagoan trumpeter Chad McCullough co-lead Abstract Quantities, with bassist Piet Verbist (another Antverpian) and Seattle drummer John Bishop, a quartet that has developed close musical and personal chemistry over its five-year history. The leaders share compositional chores, penning compelling themes like ...

Jazzenzo (The Netherlands) (Mathilde Löffler)
'Abstract Quantities' is het derde album van het Amerikaans-Belgische Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters Quartet. De trompettist en pianist ontmoetten elkaar tijdens een internationale workshop in Seattle en bouwden met toevoeging van contrabassist Piet Verbist en slagwerker John Bishop aan een succesvolle staat van dienst bestaande uit twee albums ...



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