Elmo
I have got about halfway through listening to Alan Ferber's "Roots & transitions" which sees him return to the nonet format once more. I believe that the composition "Flow" win a Grammy for the best instrumental arrangement this year. The line up doesn't include any names that are familiar yet I am absolutely staggered by the brilliance of this record. It is a cycle of compositions which Ferber explains in the liner notes all stem from the same motif which is then developed. This isn't at all apparent although these is a cohesive quality about the way the compositions follow on from each other.
Although Alan Ferber is probably most familiar as one of the "go to" trombonists in the jazz scene and has also worked with the likes of Travis Sullivan and David Binney, the work he has produced under his own name is terrific. An earlier big band album was highly imaginative whereas his nonet + strings project was probably the most successful use of a string section in jazz that I am aware of as they were effectively employed to play jazz. This new disc staggers me because the line up with includes 3 reeds, trumpet, trombone, electric guitar, piano, bass and drums sounds like a larger ensemble. The quality of writing is pretty amazing and head and shoulders above a lot of the compositional work that seems to get recorded these days.
Given your enthusiasm for the Monkestra I think that you will find Ferber's works fascinating. For me, he is one of the best arrangers in jazz at the moment and I would have to say probably the best writer for this kind of sized ensemble that I have encountered for a long while. I find it difficult to understand why he isn't more widely known but if you miss the kind of contemporary ensemble writing of some of Michael Brecker's ensembles, this is one disc to look out for.
I have got about halfway through listening to Alan Ferber's "Roots & transitions" which sees him return to the nonet format once more. I believe that the composition "Flow" win a Grammy for the best instrumental arrangement this year. The line up doesn't include any names that are familiar yet I am absolutely staggered by the brilliance of this record. It is a cycle of compositions which Ferber explains in the liner notes all stem from the same motif which is then developed. This isn't at all apparent although these is a cohesive quality about the way the compositions follow on from each other.
Although Alan Ferber is probably most familiar as one of the "go to" trombonists in the jazz scene and has also worked with the likes of Travis Sullivan and David Binney, the work he has produced under his own name is terrific. An earlier big band album was highly imaginative whereas his nonet + strings project was probably the most successful use of a string section in jazz that I am aware of as they were effectively employed to play jazz. This new disc staggers me because the line up with includes 3 reeds, trumpet, trombone, electric guitar, piano, bass and drums sounds like a larger ensemble. The quality of writing is pretty amazing and head and shoulders above a lot of the compositional work that seems to get recorded these days.
Given your enthusiasm for the Monkestra I think that you will find Ferber's works fascinating. For me, he is one of the best arrangers in jazz at the moment and I would have to say probably the best writer for this kind of sized ensemble that I have encountered for a long while. I find it difficult to understand why he isn't more widely known but if you miss the kind of contemporary ensemble writing of some of Michael Brecker's ensembles, this is one disc to look out for.
)
Comment