CHUCK OWEN & THE JAZZ SURGE - Within Us
MAMA RECORDS: MAA 1057
Tami Danielsson, Steve Wilson, Jack Wilkins, Rex Wertz, Matt Vance (woodwinds), Frank Greene, Jay Coble, Mike Iapichino, Clay Jenkins, (trumpets) Keith Oshiro, Tom Brantley, Jerald Shynett, Jim Hall (trombones) Sara Caswell (violin) Per Danielsson (piano) LaRue Nickelson (guitar) Corey Christiansen ( Dobro, nylon string, steel string and twelve string guitars) Mark Neuenschwander (bass) Danny Gottlieb (drums) Beth Gottlieb (djembe) Chuck Owen ( accordion, hammered dulcimer, conductor, composer, arranger) with Warren Wolf (guest soloist on vibes and marimba).
Recorded: May 24 -26th, 2021 at Starke Lake Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA.
The Jazz Surge is a contemporary big band which since its founding in 1995 has served principally as a vehicle for the creative talents of Chuck Owen, a revered composer/arranger and educator based in Florida. This latest release celebrates the 25th anniversary of their first recording and a return to the studio following the hiatus of the pandemic. In the scoring of the eight pieces performed in this release – six of his own compositions and pieces by Chick Corea and Miles Davis – Owen is revealed as one who well versed in both jazz and classical modes producing music of considerable finesse, rich in detail and harmonic sophistication, at turns powerfully exultant, sharp, incisive and evocatively elegiac in both the articulation of his themes and in support of the soloists. In this regard he is an heir to Ellington and Gil Evans, a leader in command of vast resources which he deploys sparingly in a painterly manner. A contemporary parallel might be found in the music of Maria Schneider.
As in the case of previous recordings the session features a guest soloist, in this case vibraphonist Warren Wolf who rather poignantly takes the place of Chick Corea for whom the slot was intended but, as we know, passed away recently. Corea’s `Chelsea Shuffle` provides the opener. A bouncy, asymmetrical theme it is ushered into being by that paragon of fusion drummers, Danny Gottlieb whose resonant percussion in concert with the close miked bass line lifts the solos of Steve Wilson and Warren Wolf to exhilarating heights whilst all around them the orchestra interjects with snatches of melody and jabbing riffs. It proves a great way to begin.
The other cover is Miles Davis’ `Milestone`, the familiar theme appearing in various guises with Gottlieb crafting a variety of rhythmic formats. His dexterity on the brushes is particularly noteworthy and there is some brilliant writing for the sections before tenor sax, trumpet and violin embroider a coda which is brought to an abrupt close with a punctuation note from the baritone sax. A clever and refreshing treatment of a jazz classic.
It is however, in his original charts that Owen’s extra-musical pre-occupations are given full expression. In the sleeve notes we are told that the pieces entitled `Trail of the Ancients` and `Apalachicola`, are inspired by the cultural heritage of Native Americans and environmental issues. In communicating these themes in musical terms Owen utilizes many of the conventions of American classical music found in the work of Charles Ives, Aaron Copland and Roy Harris but fusing them with jazz tropes as in the latter piece where Sara Caswell’s pastoral hymn for violin glides seamlessly into LaRue Nickelson’s torrid blues-rock guitar solo. The `wide open spaces` sound of the Pat Metheny group fortified with big band orchestration comes to mind; a sort of country meets classical meets jazz effect.
Other examples of his programmatic narratives are found in `American Noir` and `The Better Claim`. The first of these reflects on the turbulence of recent political events and social upheavals taking the classic film-noir soundtrack as a model, opening as a brooding nocturne before erupting into heavy orchestral toccata like riffs against which an agitated trombone solo strives for precedence. The piece closes on a hopeful note with a soothing violin melody and an optimistic saxophone flourish.
The second of these pieces is a re-orchestration for big band of the final movement of Owen’s Grammy nominated concerto for tenor sax, guitar and orchestra, `River Runs`. It opens in a pastoral vein with interweaving trumpet and violin figures before leading into a further solo excursion for Warren Wolf and the trumpet of Clay Jenkins vying with powerful brass tutti. The original 5 movement work with full string orchestra can be found on MAMA (MAA1044) and is a significant contribution to the Third Stream canon.
For the remaining pieces we have `Sparks Fly`, a bright, punchy, episodic piece combining a boogaloo rhythm with a son clave which, we are told, is a celebration of the band’s dedication to the leader’s musical ideals and the spontaneity they bring to their realisation whilst the closing title track takes inspiration from philosopher Albert Camus’ nostalgic essay, `Return to Tipasa` and his famous line, “In the midst of winter, I found there was within me, an invincible summer`. Per Danielsson’s elegant piano solo and the sax of Rex Wertz take up and extend the consoling theme statement to remind us that in the midst of adversity we have the solace of music to see us through.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
MAMA RECORDS: MAA 1057
Tami Danielsson, Steve Wilson, Jack Wilkins, Rex Wertz, Matt Vance (woodwinds), Frank Greene, Jay Coble, Mike Iapichino, Clay Jenkins, (trumpets) Keith Oshiro, Tom Brantley, Jerald Shynett, Jim Hall (trombones) Sara Caswell (violin) Per Danielsson (piano) LaRue Nickelson (guitar) Corey Christiansen ( Dobro, nylon string, steel string and twelve string guitars) Mark Neuenschwander (bass) Danny Gottlieb (drums) Beth Gottlieb (djembe) Chuck Owen ( accordion, hammered dulcimer, conductor, composer, arranger) with Warren Wolf (guest soloist on vibes and marimba).
Recorded: May 24 -26th, 2021 at Starke Lake Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA.
The Jazz Surge is a contemporary big band which since its founding in 1995 has served principally as a vehicle for the creative talents of Chuck Owen, a revered composer/arranger and educator based in Florida. This latest release celebrates the 25th anniversary of their first recording and a return to the studio following the hiatus of the pandemic. In the scoring of the eight pieces performed in this release – six of his own compositions and pieces by Chick Corea and Miles Davis – Owen is revealed as one who well versed in both jazz and classical modes producing music of considerable finesse, rich in detail and harmonic sophistication, at turns powerfully exultant, sharp, incisive and evocatively elegiac in both the articulation of his themes and in support of the soloists. In this regard he is an heir to Ellington and Gil Evans, a leader in command of vast resources which he deploys sparingly in a painterly manner. A contemporary parallel might be found in the music of Maria Schneider.
As in the case of previous recordings the session features a guest soloist, in this case vibraphonist Warren Wolf who rather poignantly takes the place of Chick Corea for whom the slot was intended but, as we know, passed away recently. Corea’s `Chelsea Shuffle` provides the opener. A bouncy, asymmetrical theme it is ushered into being by that paragon of fusion drummers, Danny Gottlieb whose resonant percussion in concert with the close miked bass line lifts the solos of Steve Wilson and Warren Wolf to exhilarating heights whilst all around them the orchestra interjects with snatches of melody and jabbing riffs. It proves a great way to begin.
The other cover is Miles Davis’ `Milestone`, the familiar theme appearing in various guises with Gottlieb crafting a variety of rhythmic formats. His dexterity on the brushes is particularly noteworthy and there is some brilliant writing for the sections before tenor sax, trumpet and violin embroider a coda which is brought to an abrupt close with a punctuation note from the baritone sax. A clever and refreshing treatment of a jazz classic.
It is however, in his original charts that Owen’s extra-musical pre-occupations are given full expression. In the sleeve notes we are told that the pieces entitled `Trail of the Ancients` and `Apalachicola`, are inspired by the cultural heritage of Native Americans and environmental issues. In communicating these themes in musical terms Owen utilizes many of the conventions of American classical music found in the work of Charles Ives, Aaron Copland and Roy Harris but fusing them with jazz tropes as in the latter piece where Sara Caswell’s pastoral hymn for violin glides seamlessly into LaRue Nickelson’s torrid blues-rock guitar solo. The `wide open spaces` sound of the Pat Metheny group fortified with big band orchestration comes to mind; a sort of country meets classical meets jazz effect.
Other examples of his programmatic narratives are found in `American Noir` and `The Better Claim`. The first of these reflects on the turbulence of recent political events and social upheavals taking the classic film-noir soundtrack as a model, opening as a brooding nocturne before erupting into heavy orchestral toccata like riffs against which an agitated trombone solo strives for precedence. The piece closes on a hopeful note with a soothing violin melody and an optimistic saxophone flourish.
The second of these pieces is a re-orchestration for big band of the final movement of Owen’s Grammy nominated concerto for tenor sax, guitar and orchestra, `River Runs`. It opens in a pastoral vein with interweaving trumpet and violin figures before leading into a further solo excursion for Warren Wolf and the trumpet of Clay Jenkins vying with powerful brass tutti. The original 5 movement work with full string orchestra can be found on MAMA (MAA1044) and is a significant contribution to the Third Stream canon.
For the remaining pieces we have `Sparks Fly`, a bright, punchy, episodic piece combining a boogaloo rhythm with a son clave which, we are told, is a celebration of the band’s dedication to the leader’s musical ideals and the spontaneity they bring to their realisation whilst the closing title track takes inspiration from philosopher Albert Camus’ nostalgic essay, `Return to Tipasa` and his famous line, “In the midst of winter, I found there was within me, an invincible summer`. Per Danielsson’s elegant piano solo and the sax of Rex Wertz take up and extend the consoling theme statement to remind us that in the midst of adversity we have the solace of music to see us through.
Reviewed by Euan Dixon
