Dease proves yet again that straight-ahead post-bop can prove to be fertile ground for musical ingenuity and emotional heft as he tips, grandly, to composer Gregg Hill.
Michael Dease has fully earned his stature as one of the great trombonists and jazz figures of these times. His formidableness on the instrument, matched by his pursuit of inspired musical challenges and robust partnerships, is fully on display in the double CD, City Life, his third album devoted to the music of composer Gregg Hill. Teaming with two of the more powerful voices in music—bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts—Dease devotes Disc One to a kinetically charged trio environment, capturing the gritty side of City Life by sparring freely with his trio mates while they masterfully cohabitate the flow of time. Disc Two adds saxophonist Nicole Glover and pianist Geoffrey Keezer to the soundscape, which may reflect a sophisticated counterview, with each disc capturing a perspective of the contradictions that make up City Life.
"Dease modernizes the style significantly, energizes it, and gives it a new dimension. He skillfully handles both the most lively and the most poetic..." Paris Move
Track Listing:
DISC ONE - TRIO
1 Willow Walks In 5:03
2 City Life 6:29
3 Danger Zone 5:05
4 Movie Theme 4:53
5 Sweet Georgia Gillespie 4:15
6 Double Bill 5:14
7 Claxilever 4:26
8 Catalyst 7:16
9 Say What!? 4:41
10 Movie Theme (Reprise) 6:11
Compositions by Gregg Hill, except:
(5) J.J. Johnson; (9) Sharel Cassity
DISC TWO - QUINTET
1 Tea Time 6:08
2 The Classic II 7:11
3 Grave Concerns 6:31
4 Mr. Hurt 6:59
5 Rainy Afternoon 5:43
6 Enigma 6:16
7 Skittles 6:03
8 Blues for Herb 4:50
9 Lafayette Square 4:56
Compositions by Gregg Hill, except: (3,7) Michael Dease;
(4) Gregory Tardy; (6) J.J. Johnson; (8) Emily Remler
Performers:
Michael Dease - trombone
Linda May Han Oh - bass*
Jeff "Tain" Watts - drums
Nicole Glover - tenor saxophone (disc 2)
Geoffrey Keezer - piano (disc 2)
*Jared Beckstead-Craan - bass (4,6 on disc 2)
Brooklyn Dease - voice (4,10 on disc 1)
Gregg Hill - compositions & producer
Production Info:
Produced by Michael Dease & Gregg Hill
Recorded Oct. 25-26, 2024
at Power Station at Berklee, NYC
Engineered by Akihiro Nishimura and Ben Miller
Mixed by Akihiro Nishimura
at Spin Recording Studios, NYC
Mastered by Mark Wilder
at Battery Studios, Sony Music Entertainment, NYC
Liner notes by Michael J. West
Cover art by Laura Shepard
Cover concept by Lynne Brown
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of City Life: Music of Gregg Hill
Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Trombonist Michael Dease continues his catalogue building from th ecomposition skills of Gregg Hill, this time with a two disc album with two different band formats.
The first is a bopping trio session with Linda May Han Oh/b and Jeff ‘Tain' Watts, with daughter Brooklyn Dease adding the innocence of a childlike voice to the multi-mooded "Movi ...
Paris Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
5-STARS There are two trombonists in the world I hold in the highest regard. One hails from Europe, the unmistakable figure with the red trombone, Nils Landgren. The other is American, and his name is Michael Dease. While their styles are worlds apart, shaped by different cultural soil, both possess something rare and essential: the ability to tra ...
Soundclips
Video:
