Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill

American trombonist and (since last year) baritone saxophonist MICHAEL DEASE released a new album "Found In Space: The Music of Gregg Hill" on September 20 on the Origin Records label. In the eleven-member line-up...

Michael Dease won this year's 69th DownBeat Annual Jazz Critics Poll as Trombonist of the Year! In addition to playing in various quintets and sextets, he is especially appreciated as a player in leading jazz orchestras, led by Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Charles Tolliver, Rufus Reid; he also collaborates with the Lincoln Center Orchestra. When he came to New York City in 2001, he began playing in big bands such as Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Heath, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars Big Band. Generally, they were and are ensembles that opened his horizons, as they moved outside the jazz mainstream; he also tried the music of Frank Zappa, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and got deeper into Charles Mingus. Dease has never been satisfied with mere improvisation, arranging and composing for many different bands, constantly adjusting his tone and timbre to give the music the right taste.

His big band experience was also fully reflected in the new album. As you can see from the title of the album, it is music composed by composer Gregg Hill. It is actually a mystery how many followers this now seventy-eight-year-old musical creator from Michigan has gained, when he is actually almost forgotten nationwide. His work is dedicated to Rodney Whitaker, who has already released three albums with Hill's music, or Randy Napoleon (two albums). Dease himself followed up with this year's recording "The Other Shoe: The Music of Gregg Hill" from last year.

Gregg Hill's music resembles the more ambitious works of Frank Zappa's big line-ups, such as "Grand Wazoo"; His melodies also easily transition from classical music of the 20th century to jazz, rock, avant-garde and back. Michael Dease, who alternates between trombone and baritone saxophone, makes full use of the instrumental maturity of truly capable players, including clarinetist Virginia MacDonald, alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, tenor saxophonist Jason Hainsworth and trumpeter Matt White. Of course, all the actors give an excellent performance here, including flutist Sharel Cassity, trombonist Nanami Haruta (Dease's student), keyboardist Bill Cunliffe, double bassist Katie Thiroux, drummer Colleen Clark and the leader's wife, percussionist Gwendolyn Dease, who spices up the sound with marimba in a similar way to Ruth Underwood in Zappa.

The almost seventy-two-minute running time of the album is filled with ten songs. Already in the opening track "The Last Pop Tune", flowing ostinato, dense rhythm, tapping winds and solo choruses (piano, flute, baritone sax) pour out on the listener, all in variable dynamics. The title piece "Found In Space" is artfully arranged, with the sparkling of electric piano, overlapping rates of winds that literally rush at times; Everything is enhanced by a chain of solos (baritone sax, trumpet, alto sax, electric piano). In the hardbop brisk "One For Rodney", enhanced by brisk marimba, the energy of all the actors and eruptive rates and solos create an unscrupulous big band bite; there is also a stirring dialogue between two alto saxophones (Mahanthappa is joined by Cassity). The following "The Stray Moonduck", a slow, bluesy earthy song, is mainly a calling card of the trombone playing of a teacher and a student; Cooljazz colors spill around. But the tenor saxophone solo is not bad either. The song "The Puppet Thief" is juicy exuberant, elastic, run-of, really chic; The double bass player also excels solo. In "Rue de Royal", a thickened, melodically and dynamically expressive piece, the clarinetist excels; as well as in "Chillin' With Wes", a sweeping and delicious composition. Spacious orchestral areas above the rhythmic walk saturate "Anthem"; The basis is the contrast between the higher and deeper registers of the winds. Colourfully dense typesetting in counterpoint, brisk phrasing flavoured with Latin and a necklace of solos adorn the track "Nostalgia". The great album closes with "A Wrinkle In Time", which is closest to Zappa; Lyricism ignites from the tangle and results in rich cinematicism. You can also hear the sounds of classical music and brass music. The soloists take turns in short but nourishing solos, and at the end the boss himself excels with a thrilling ride.