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Lizard Breath Records |
DAN PHILLIPS QUARTET |
Release Date: March 25, 2019 |
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The first release from this newly formed Chicago based Quartet featuring four compositions by guitarist Dan Phillips and three group improvisations with Jim Baker on keyboards, Bill Harris on drums and Krzysztof Pabian on double bass. Although this is the first release for this unique quartet, Krzysztof and Dan have 20 plus year relationship. Jim Baker is a long-term stalwart of the Chicago experimental and improvised music scene and Bill Harris is integral part of the young generation making his mark in the music. After a short but fruitful residency at a local Chicago venue the quartet was excited enough about the result to record this debut release. |
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Tune list and order:
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More about the musicians: Dan Phillips is an American guitarist, composer educator and band leader who has worked professionally in New York, Chicago, Bangkok and Tokyo. His Chicago based Trio has released three original recordings “Journey in Mind”, “Moment of Clarity” and “Destination Unknown”. His Bangkok Quartet has two releases “Bangkok Edge” and “Bangkok Edge Live” he also produced an educational/ concert DVD “Jazz Guitar Basics and Beyond”. He is also the leader of the “Chicago Edge Ensemble” which just released its first album “Decaying Orbit” featuring Chicago greats Hamid Drake, Jeb Bishop and Mars Williams. He has appeared at the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada, Copenhagen Jazz Festival in Denmark, Ashikaga City Jazz Festival in Japan, Pattaya Music Festival, Bangkok Jazz Festival, Chiang Mai Jazz Festival and Hua Hin Jazz Festivals in Thailand, and All Souls and Empty Bottle Jazz Festivals in Chicago. Dan has also presented Jazz workshops throughout Asia, Europe and The U. S. He is currently Lecturer of Guitar and Jazz Studies at Silapakorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. He completed his undergraduate studies at Berklee College of Music where he was selected to represent the college at the Montreal Jazz Festival in his senior year in the “Berklee All Star” ensemble. He completed his graduate studies at Northwestern, University. Dan has performed with jazz musicians such as Gerald Wilson, Danilo Pérez, Judy Roberts, Hugo Rasmussen, Jeff Parker, John Stowell, Matt Darriau, JimBlack, Hamid Drake, Jeb Bishop, Mars Williams, Ben Street, Chris Speed, Pat Zimmerly, Mike Sarin and Ed Thigpen and many more. Jim Baker has been playing piano and synthesizer, mostly in improvisational contexts, for a few decades in Chicago and elsewhere in the world. He is probably on about 60 or 70 recordings, some of which involve Michael Zerang, Mars Williams, Ken Vandermark, Charles Rumback, Dave Rempis, Keefe Jackson, Guillermo Gregorio, Christoph Erb, David Boykin, Fred Anderson, amongst others. Recent and forthcoming recordings include "Don't buy him a parrot..." by Erb/Baker/Rosaly; " 'Don't mind me, I'm just everywhere, always', said the Basilisk, unreassuringly" by Wihuba (Edward Wilkerson, Jr, Steve Hunt, Jim Baker); "Tulips" by Madness of Crowds (Brian Sandstrom/Matt Lux/Nate Lepine/Joe Adamik/Baker) and trios with Bernard Santacruz/Samuel Silvant, and Brandon Lopez/Bill Harris. He has a solo recording ("More Questions than Answers") on Delmark; is working on more solo material; and plays nearly every week in Chicago with Extraordinary Popular Delusions (Mars Williams/Brian Sandstrom/Steve Hunt/Baker) at their long-running residency at Beat Kitchen. Krzysztof Pabian hails from Europe as a classical-trained bassist. He began his music studies at the age of 8 on accordion and piano and switched to bass at age 14. Krzysztof moved to the U.S. in 1993 where he studied at Northwestern University to graduate with two Masters degrees in jazz and classical double bass performance. Krzysztof has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Civic Orchestra and worked in an array of ensembles under the direction of Pierre Boulez, Daniel Barenboim, Christopher Eshenbach, Zubin Mehta, George Solti, Lawrence Foster, Pinchas Zukerman and Krzysztof Penderecki to name a few. In the area of jazz Krzysztof has performed with Danilo Pérez, Judy Roberts, Eddie Henderson, Max Roach, Ron Blake, Hamid Drake, Mars Williams, Jarek Smietana and the Lincoln Center Jazz Sextet. Krzysztof has toured throughout North America and Europe with various groups and configurations. Bill Harris is a drummer, composer, improviser, and audio engineer from Pittsburgh currently based in Chicago. Since moving to Chicago in 2011, he has been working heavily in Chicago's vibrant jazz/experimental/improvised music scene and has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Chicago luminaries such as Dave Rempis, Kent Kessler, Josh Berman, Jeb Bishop, Ed Wilkerson, Peter Maunu, Jason Stein, Keefe Jackson, Jim Baker, and Ben Lamar Gay. He co-leads a number of groups such as Four Letter Words, Bowlcut, Devouring the Guilt, and Errata, and his work has been featured at Chicago venues such as Constellation, Elastic Arts, the Hungy Brain, the Hideout, the Empty Bottle, and Experimental Sound Studios. He also operates and produces for a small, artist-run collective/label called Amalgam which aims to document works of experimental and improvised music in Chicago and has been featured in the Chicago Reader and other publications. |
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What reviewers have said about Dan Phillips’ previous work: Chicago Edge Ensemble RECOGNITIONS
REVIEWS “… The music on this album is filled with surprises and incredible turns., the musical language is rich expressive, vivid and incredible …” “… The compositions begin with an intricate and complex sonic architecture or quiet, searching textures that highlight the rich palette of the Ensemble… Phillips sets the basic theme and the overall atmosphere. Later these parts mature into collective, free jazz improvisations that enjoy the full power and the soulful sound of the Ensemble .…” “… Dan Phillips’ music is highly variable, constantly changing and dynamic. He masterfully puts together loud, expressive, passionate and vivacious improvisations, turbulent and free solos, subtle, peaceful and soft solos with other elements …” “… Overall this is highly original music, which offers superb musicality and unique sonic expression both artistic and professional to the core …” “… With each release Phillips’ sound continues to mature and expand. What remains unchanged is his imaginative creativity and his restless inventiveness. These and his shared musical vision with his sidemen—accomplished artists in their own rights—are what make this recording an absorbing musical treat …” “… Chicago Edge Ensemble is an all-terrain vehicle, a quintet equally capable of negotiating the bumpity-smooth contours of swinging postbop, the banked hairpin turns of fusion-funk, the fog and ether of AACM-style intrigue and the tumultuous thicket that awaits if you gleefully careen off the road …” “… Phillips in particular proves why he’s the most under-appreciated electric guitarist from the Chicago area. There’s no hesitation or sense of compromise on Decaying Orbit. As the band name implies, this is jazz and improvisational material which goes to the edge, stays there, and doesn’t retreat …” “… With its palpable personality, rigorous but approachable compositions, and sure-footed sense of self, Chicago Edge Ensemble's Decaying Orbit not only pays homage to the city that Phillips loves, but also solidly places him on the map as a formidable instrumentalist and composer. It's a treat to hear him play with such a first rate band of some of Chicago - and the world's - greatest musicians …” “… xxx…” “… Dan Phillips leads a Quintet with a big Chicago sound and memorable compositions…” “… Decaying Orbit” – the song and the album fulfills the of its members and furthers the legacy of its worldly leader…” “… Chicago jazz is the complexity of the postmodern with a predisposition for rump shaking. The Quintet rarely lowers the flame below boiling…” “… The beauty of Decaying Orbit is its broad appeal. Fans of both traditional and more adventurous jazz will find much to like here. Indeed, the Chicago Edge Ensemble does manage to succeed in representing the city’s diverse musical roots, and in a highly enjoyable fashion to boot … ”. “... This is a fine album of interesting themes and powerful performances by the full ensemble and the soloists. Everyone draws deeply from the limitless well of the city’s musical history and creates a bold and thoughtful statement ... ” “… The Variety of moods, expressions, characters and playing techniques, masterful and organic synthesis of different musical language elements and expressive and extraordinaryimprovisong create innovative sound on this album … ” “... With each release Phillips’ sound continues to mature and expand. What remains unchanged is his imaginative creativity and his restless inventiveness. These and his shared musical vision with his sidemen—accomplished artists in their own rights—are what make this recording an absorbing musical treat ...” “... the improvised pieces are easily mistaken for thoroughly composed music. The sound is coherent, coordinated and is what we might dub Chicago organic ...” "... Much in that way a storm cloud has no definite borders or concrete shape, yet possesses a presence that implies depth (and more), the quartet of guitarist Dan Phillips, trombonist Jeb Bishop, double bassist Krzysztof Pabian and drummer Timothy Daisy rain down with plenty of free jazz improvisation, but by coalescing into the occasional groove, they provide a sense of focus and direction to music that doesn’t always move that way ..." “... Phillips and company play with confidence. None are in a hurry to achieve any notable goal other than to add their own contributions to those of the rest of the group. Thus move seamlessly between order and chaos, with varying tone and dynamics ...” “... Chicago Edge Ensemble is an all-terrain vehicle, a quintet equally capable of negotiating the bumpity-smooth contours of swinging postbop, the banked hairpin turns of fusion-funk, the fog and ether of AACM-style intrigue and the tumultuous thicket that awaits if you gleefully careen off the road ...“ “... Phillips in particular proves why he’s the most under-appreciated electric guitarist from the Chicago area. There’s no hesitation or sense of compromise on Decaying Orbit. As the band name implies, this is jazz and improvisational material which goes to the edge, stays there, and doesn’t retreat ...“ “... With its palpable personality, rigorous but approachable compositions, and sure-footed sense of self, Chicago Edge Ensemble's Decaying Orbit not only pays homage to the city that Phillips loves, but also solidly places him on the map as a formidable instrumentalist and composer. It's a treat to hear him play with such a first rate band of some of Chicago - and the world's - greatest musicians ...“ “... Dan Phillips leads a Quintet with a big Chicago sound and memorable compositions ...“ “... "Decaying Orbit" – the song and the album fulfills the of its members and furthers the legacy of its worldly leader ...“ “... Chicago jazz is the complexity of the postmodern with a predisposition for rump shaking. The Quintet rarely lowers the flame below boiling ...“ “... The beauty of Decaying Orbit is its broad appeal. Fans of both traditional and more adventurous jazz will find much to like here. Indeed, the Chicago Edge Ensemble does manage to succeed in representing the city’s diverse musical roots, and in a highly enjoyable fashion to boot ...“ “... This is a fine album of interesting themes and powerful performances by the full ensemble and the soloists. Everyone draws deeply from the limitless well of the city’s musical history and creates a bold and thoughtful statement ...“ |
Lizard Breath Records |