Auteur

Harmonies shift in unsettled patterns; the pieces, beautiful as they are, work through their troubles in long, ruminative phrases; and the soloists likewise pitch their virtuosity in search of an elusive place they can call home...The tunes are lovely.
DownBeat

As a composer and bandleader, trumpeter David Weiss is dedicated to the proposition that there are still new stories to be told from within the bebop tradition. The several collaborative bands he's spearheaded over the last three decades—including the superband, The Cookers—are towering examples, but none more personal to his voice than this ongoing Sextet. With longtime collaborators saxophonist Myron Walden and drummer EJ Strickland, and newer musical partners such as tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover and pianist David Bryant, Weiss creates expansive harmonic and rhythmic frameworks for the group to explore and summit. Intriguing melodies and virtuosic solos highlight this set of five originals, along with compositions from Freddie Hubbard and Slide Hampton.

"...innovating while drawing from tradition...creating a powerful, propulsive force."
JazzTimes

Production Info:

Recorded January 23 & 24, 2023
at Big Orange Sheep, Brooklyn, NY
Recording Engineer: Chris Benham
Assistant: Cat Evers
Additional recording and editing: David Turk
Mixed by Katherine Miller
Mastered by Fred Kevorkian
at Kevorkian Mastering, Brooklyn, NY
Cover photo by Vincent Soyez
Band photo by Chris Benham
Cover Design and Layout by John Bishop

Reviews of Auteur

Paris Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
It's hard to find an album more classic than this one, which throws you right into the heart of bebop without any restraint. It's bold, and that's precisely what gives it its charm, thanks to the excellence of the musicians in this sextet, who immediately draw you into their turbulent universe! David Weiss presents *Auteur*, showcasing original com ...

Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Trumpeter David Weiss has carved out a career playing with the likes of Freddie Hubbard, James Spaulding as well as currently teamed with the hard bop vets The Cookers. This album has that classic late period Blue Note feel, with Weiss leading a muscular group of Myron Walden/as, Nicole Glover/ts, David Bryant/p, Eric Wheeler/b and EJ Strickland/dr ...

All About Jazz (Edward Blanco)
4-STARS Trumpeter, composer and bandleader David Weiss delivers the fourth album from his exquisite sextet entitled Auteur, a French term originally used to define film directors as the "author' of the film and in musical respects here, to mean the director or "scene setters" of the music. A master of the bebop sound Weiss, as stated in the excell ...

The New York City Jazz Record (Phil Freeman)
Trumpeter David Weiss usually builds a band to accomplish a particular musical task. Point Of Departure, a brilliant early-2000s quintet interpreted the music of Andrew Hill, late '60s mostly pre-electric Miles Davis, and underappreciated Detroit keyboardist Kenny Cox. His long-running all-star septet, The Cookers, featuring titans such as Eddie He ...

Jazz Trail (Filipe Freitas)
Trumpeter and composer David Weiss assembles a dynamic sextet for his latest album, Auteur, featuring both longtime collaborators—alto saxophonist Myron Walden and drummer EJ Strickland—and fresh voices like pianist David Bryant, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, and bassist Eric Wheeler. The album showcases seven passionate tracks, including fi ...

DownBeat (Carlo Wolff)
4 1/2 STARS The David Weiss Sextet's first album in 10 years is a master class in musical power. It presents five primarily long-form tunes by trumpeter Weiss and one each by Freddie Hubbard and Slide Hampton. Auteur is immersive modern music spanning "The Mirror," a staple of the group's repertoire; "The Other Side Of The Mountain," a gorgeous ...