Portal seems an updated brand of West Coast cool, by way of the Northwest (Seattle)
As major fixtures in the Northwest jazz scene and educators at Cornish College for 25 years, bassist Chuck Deardorf & guitarist/composer Dave Peterson were central influences on many of the rising talents in creative jazz today including Brad Shepik and Briggan Krauss. Drawing from their many years of touring and recording with artists like Kenny Barron, Art Lande, Bob Moses, Paul Motian, and dozens of others, they co-lead this alternately reflective and fiery quartet along with drummer John Bishop and saxophonist Hans Teuber. Featured on this debut recording are guests, New York pianist George Cables and Bay-area percussionist Michael Spiro. "Portal" showcases the compositions of Dave Peterson as well as new takes on Wayne Shorter's "Ana Maria" and the classic "Invitation."
1. PORTAL (6:44)
2. RHYTHM TUNE (6:23)
3. CRAZY HEART (5:26)
4. MR SCHMEIL (1:46)
5. THAT'S THE DEAL (8:09)
6. BLUES FOR DAVE (6:57)
7. INVITATION (11:09)
8. SONG FOR LEE (5:59)
9. THE LAST MINUTE (5:57)
10. ANA MARIA (7:45)
The Deardorf / Peterson Group:
Hans Teuber - saxophones
Dave Peterson - guitar
Chuck Deardorf - bass
John Bishop - drums
George Cables - piano, rhodes
Michael Spiro - percussion
Produced by CHUCK DEARDORF and DAVE PETERSON
Recorded at Studio X, Seattle, WA
engineered by REED RUDDY
assistant engineer SAM HOFSTEDT
Additional recording at Studio Litho, Seattle
engineered by REED RUDDY
assistant engineer FLOYD REITSMA
Track 4 recorded live at PONCHO Concert Hall, Cornish College of the Arts
engineered by JIM WILKE
assistant engineer JOHN BURROW
Mastered at ROSS NYBERG MASTERING
Cover photos by RAY DEARDORF
Deardorf/Peterson photo by TIM ROUNDS
Additional musician photos by STEVE ROBINSON, RON HUDSON & MATT JORGENSEN
Layout and design by JOHN BISHOP/OriginArts
Seattle Weekly (Mark Fefer)
If there's a distinct sound to Seattle jazz, and I think there is, these two longtime Cornish instructors have helped define it. Celebrating their new disc, Portal, on Ballard's Origin label, they and some veteran pals deliver a quintessential mainstream Seattle session: relaxed, light on its feet, gregarious. On bass, Deardorf has a gorgeous deep ...
All About Jazz (Dan McClenaghan)
With an urbane, beautifully harmonic, clean-edged sound, Portal seems an updated brand of West Coast cool, by way of the Northwest (Seattle) this time around, like a mix of Chico Hamilton's chamber bands, the fluid guitar work of Wes Montgomery, and that dry, cool approach of Paul Desmond's sax work stirred up in one groove-oriented band. Dave Pete ...
All Music Guide (Adam Greenburg)
Longtime Seattle jazzmen (and professors at one of the official bastions of jazz education, Cornish) Chuck Deardorf and Dave Peterson have been playing together for quite some time, and have each appeared on a number of albums. Despite this, it's only now that they've gotten a proper debut. The works they perform here are essentially all originals ...
Earshot (Steve Cline)
Musicians and jazz lovers of all ages were tightly packed into Jazz Alley in late April to celebrate the occasion of some of Seattle's finest professional improvising artists producing one of their own.
The sidemen have come to the front with the release of Portal (Origin) by the Deardorf/Peterson Group.
Bassist Chuck Deardorf, guitarist Dave ...
The Seattle Times (Paul de Barros)
Bassist Chuck Deardorf has been a yeoman on the Seattle jazz scene for more than 25 years.
His muscular sound and Gibraltar-like time have been heard locally behind everyone from Abbey Lincoln and Chet Baker to Art Farmer and Mark Murphy. After spending a career in the shadows, Deardorf finally has stepped into the spotlight with an album under ...
All Music Guide (Stewart Mason)
Although they sport one of those old-school jazz combo names that makes them sound like the sort of fusty, hidebound corporation that underwrites political-affairs roundtables on PBS ("This program is made possible by a grant from the Deardorf Peterson Group"), the Deardorf Peterson Group are at least as musically with it as hipper-named acts like ...