... playful and swinging, full of matter-of-fact phrasing and sound harmonic progressions...with enough open landscape to allow solos to stretch out over a lush chordal framework.
As the follow-up to his critically-acclaimed Big Band recording, "Clockwise: The Music of Cedar Walton," pianist Ben Markley presents this spirited and thoroughly modern quartet session of original compositions, featuring alto saxophone great Greg Osby. Inspired by their developing musical relationship over the last four years, Markley composed a set of music with Osby in mind, followed by a tour and this recording. With the crisp and fully engaged support of bassist Evan Gregor and drummer Dru Heller, the effect of Markley and Osby's fluid rapport creates an inspired argument for further exploration.
"'Basic Economy' is a vivid presentation of the sound of today, with a healthy nod to the institutions of chance and imagination." - Greg Osby
Track Listing:
1. FTG 6:50
2. Our Walk 7:06
3. Basic Economy 6:45
4. Mind Fire 7:28
5. Road to Ace 9:28
6. Ice-Line 7:37
7. Half Dozen 3:58
8. Autumn Air 8:47
All compositions by Ben Markley (Markley Music, BMI) except (7) by Greg Osby
Performers:
Ben Markley - piano
Greg Osby - alto saxophone
Evan Gregor - bass
Dru Heller - drums
Production Info:
Produced by Ben Markley
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Colin Bricker
at Mighty Fine Productions, Denver, CO
Recorded on October 27, 2017
Art by Jason Javar Lawrence
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of Basic Economy
Downbeat (Robert Ham)
Ben Markley Moves Into the Spotlight
Pianist Ben Markley has quietly been making waves in the jazz world from his home base in Denver, Colorado. That was clear enough when he released Clockwise (OA2), his big band tribute to one of his musical idols, Cedar Walton, last year. The album netted Markley a healthy amount of critical praise, including ...
Jazz Weekly (George W. Harris)
Pianist Ben Markley forms a hip post-bop band with Evan Gregor/b, Dru Heller/dr and featured guest Greg Osby/as on 6 self-penned pieces and one thrown in by the alto saxist. Of the latter, "Ice-Line" is a dark modal piece that has the saxist crying out to the heavens, while a similar attitude is palpable on the ¾ charger "Mind Fire." Markley gets ...
All About Jazz (Paul Rauch)
4-STARS Pianist/composer Ben Markley has enough jazz pedigree to draw interest from jazz fans on an international level. After all, he has performed with such notables as Brian Lynch, Terell Stafford, and Eddie Henderson. His work on the jazz scene in Denver is well regarded, as is his work as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Wyoming ...
muszeroldal (Budapest) (Rudolf Radnai)
After last year's big-band, Cedar Walton's work, Clockwise honored another new and now completely self-made album featuring Ben Markley , the outstanding pianist-composer who this time Greg Osby saxophone. Fresh, crisp, contemporary jazz, if it's not all easy music, but it's so loose that it does not look annoyingly tight or dim. The saxophone sets ...
