Record Reviews

DAN PHILLIPS QUARTET ~ CONVERGING TRIBUTARIES LIZARD BREATH (Barcode: 075549198976) ~ USA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by a jazz quartet led by American guitarist / composer Dan PhillipsFind albums by this artist, with trombonist Jeb BishopFind albums by this artist, Polish (resident in US) bassist Krzysztof PabianFind albums by this artist and drummer Timothy DaisyFind albums by this artist. The album presents four original compositions, two by the leader and two improvised pieces co-credited to all four members of the quartet. Philips, Pabian and Daisy recorded several albums together as a trio but this is their fist recording in the quartet setting. The music is very diverse and moves between melody based contemporary Jazz / Fusion and Improvised Music. The presence of the trombone shifts the music more towards Jazz, in comparison to the a.m. trio recordings, that have a tendency towards Fusion. The two lengthy improvised pieces are typical group improvisations, which allow for solo statements and duo, trio and quartet conversations, which develop spontaneously, at times entering a hypnotic groove stage. The album enables all four players to display their individual statements, which are impressive, as well as showcase excellent team work, and altogether is a good example of contemporary Jazz, which refuses to stay within the boundaries set by the Jazz tradition and offers cross-genre fertilization. The rhythm section is given an equal status within the quartet and contributes equally, both on the compositional and instrumental levels. Overall this is an interesting album, which is worth investigating by the open-minded Jazz enthusiasts, who are ready to make an intellectual effort while listening to music, in order to embrace it. Well done!

Updated: 01/05/2018Posted: 01/05/2018

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DAN PHILLIPS TRIO ~ DIVERGENT FLOW LIZARD BREATH (Barcode: 755491110256) ~ USA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the fifth album by American guitarist / composer Dan PhillipsFind albums by this artist and his trio with Polish (resident in US) bassist Krzysztof PabianFind albums by this artist and American drummer Timothy DaisyFind albums by this artist, for whom this is the debut recording with this trio. The album presents seven pieces, five of which were composed by Phillips and two are improvisations attributed to all the trio members. The music is clearly highly improvised, but maintains some basic structure and melody contents, which makes it very accessible in spite of its free spirited nature. The themes are clearly stated at the onset of each of the composed tunes and then expanded into the Free realm, with an impressive trialogue between the trio members. Due to the clear and non abusive tone produced by the electric guitar, the bass and drums are clearly audible and the listener is able to enjoy their contributions in full. Phillips uses a lot of echo and reverb which give his guitar an eerie but attractive tone, which resembles early John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist´s recordings made almost half a century earlier. Pabian´s bass is a dominant ingredient of the music, laying the foundation upon the music slides elegantly. Daisy provides a rhythmic barrage, powerful but subtle, which manages not only to keep the music clicking but also ornaments it polyrhythmically. The trio manages to create a typical "less is more" intimacy, which works very effectively, creating an aura of delicate probing in parallel to the melodic lines. Even the freely improvised pieces manage to be deeply expressive and avoid the chaos which such music often falls victim to. Overall this is a highly original music, which offers superb musicality and a unique sonic experience, which should keep the hordes of guitar players out there licking their lips nervously. Both artistic and professional at the core, this music is a reflection of the Chicago based American progressive / Avant-Garde scene, which is an oasis of Jazz exploration on the great American desert. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 28/03/2018

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DAN PHILLIPS TRIO ~ SOUND ENERGY IN SPACE LIZARD BREATH (Barcode: 755491136904) ~ USA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the sixth album by American guitarist / composer Dan PhillipsFind albums by this artist and his trio with Polish (resident in US) bassist Krzysztof PabianFind albums by this artist and American drummer Timothy DaisyFind albums by this artist. It presents ten original compositions, nine by Phillips and one co-composed by Phillips and Pabian. The music is consistent with earlier recordings by the trio, presenting modern Jazz with some Fusion undertones and a lot of open space, which allows the musicians to express themselves extensively. Daisy´s presence opened a lot of new possibilities for the trio´s overall musical scope, as he is equally competent playing almost straightforward / swinging rhythms and free improvisation with the same ease and elegance. Pabian, as always, is the backbone of this music and his steady and beautifully rounded pulsations keep the music together. Phillips´ clean guitar tone and excellent technique create a barrage of notes which are all perfectly audible. Although not stated on the album´s artwork, some of the tracks feature electronically generated "white noise", which most probably refers to the album´s title and which I could easily live without. Overall this is a nice album, which guitar and Free Jazz fans should be able to enjoy in the same way as all earlier recordings by this trio. However in the great scheme of things it seems like the trio is somewhat stuck in the same space-time coordinates and even the change of the drummer didn´t manage to create enough momentum to make it move forward in any direction. Of course this does not negate some fine playing present herein.

Updated: 08/11/2019Posted: 08/11/2019

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