While We Have Time

Saxophonist Maddie Vogler explores the small and sometimes complicated intricacies of everyday life with a youthful verve, aided and abetted by her mentor, trumpeter Tito Carrillo.
ALL ABOUT JAZZ

Immersed in thoughts of identity, family and culture, Chicago saxophonist Maddie Vogler commissioned the original cover art depicting the hands of her immigrant grandmothers to frame her debut recording. Steeped in modern jazz while freely exploring Vogler's relationship with her Cuban roots, her nine original compositions are brimming with adventurous rhythmic energy and melodic soulfulness. Her musical mentor, trumpeter Tito Carrillo, shares the front line, while the rhythm section of Matt Gold, Jake Shapiro, Samuel Peters, and Neil Hemphill provide a percolating momentum on tunes such as "The Need To Be," an elegiac gait on "Corridors," or a driving, Afro-Cuban flavored 9/8 on "Check Engine Light." While We Have Time is an expansive and striking debut, planting Vogler squarely within Chicago's historical jazz lineage.

Production Info:

Produced by Maddie Vogler
Co-produced by Chris Madsen and John Merikoski
Recorded December 12 & 13, 2022 by Scott Steinman
at Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL
Mixed & mastered by Rich Breen
at Dogmatic Sound, Burbank, CA
Original artwork for cover by Diana Cisneros
Front cover photo by Joel Lerner
Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Reviews of While We Have Time

All About Jazz (Dan McClenaghan)
In the introduction to alto saxophonist Maddie Vogler's debut recording, While We Have Time, are two striking images. The first is the cover shot, a pair of venerable unmatched hands, depicting those of the artist's immigrant grandmothers, beautifully and simply adorned. The second image is the inside photo of a vibrant young woman, an alto saxopho ...

All About Jazz (Jack Bowers)
Regardless of one's opinion of the music (from this vantage point, quite favorable), it is always a pleasure to welcome a jazz group led by a woman whose talents reach beyond voice or piano. Maddie Vogler, who presides over an admirable sextet on While We Have Time (and wrote all the music therein), plays alto saxophone, and does so about as well a ...

Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
This debut release by alto saxist Maddie Vogler displays an uncommon maturity for a variety of reasons. First, unlike most younger artists on record, she shares her space well with her team of Tito Carrillo/tp-fh, Matt Gold/g, Jake Shapiro/p, Sam Peters/b and Neil Hemphill/dr. Second, all of the tunes are her own, and they are quite impressive for ...

WDCB, Chicago (Paul Abella)
Chicagoan Maddie Vogler has put together an impressive project with her new album, While We Have Time. Having recently graduated from the University of Illinois, she put together this debut album with a sextet featuring Tito Carrillo on trumpet, Matt Gold on guitar, Jake Shapiro on piano, Samuel Peters on bass and Neil Hemphill on drums. The leadof ...

Making A Scene (Jim Hynes)
While We Have Time is the debut for alto saxophonist, composer, and educator Chicago-based Maggie Vogler. Vogler hails from Cuban heritage and a few of those strains are heard in this uplifting set of original tunes. Vogler performs with a Chicago-based quintet/sextet featuring her mentor and now label mate, the trumpeter Tito Carrillo, guitarist ...

DownBeat (Scott Yanow)
Alto-saxophonist Maddie Vogler's While We Have Time (Origin, 50:53 ***1/2) defies expectations a bit. Some of her music is dedicated to her grandmother who left Cuba for Chicago with her family when she was 16. While the opening number, "The Need To Be," is Latin-flavored jazz, the other pieces are modern hard bop with just subtle hints at Vogler's ...