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Lizard Breath Records |
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Release Date: September 30, 2019 |
“Quartet Next” is a new project from guitarist Dan Phillips. This Chicago based group recording features eight original pieces by guitarist Dan Phillips that lean heavily on the group improvisational skills of Dave Rempis on saxophones, Hamid Drake on drums and Krzysztof Pabian on double bass. Although this is only the first release for this unique Quartet, Krzysztof and Dan have 20 plus year relationship and he and Hamid are members of Dan’s “Chicago Edge Ensemble” which released two critically acclaimed recordings ”Decaying Orbit” in 2017 and “Insidious Anthem” in 2018. Dan and Hamid also released a very well received duo record “Trail of Inevitability”. Dan Phillips and Dave Rempis have performed together but this is their first recording and the results are breathtaking! Dave skillfully navigates Dan’s compositions and brings a powerful and unique voice to the music with dynamic and expressive improvisations. Krzysztof and Hamid provide both openness and at times a driving and forceful undercurrent to the group sound that is bigger in sound than just four. |
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Chicago has justly earned its high esteem amongst jazz & creative music aficionados. The city that fostered the talents of the AACM, Sun Ra, Fred Anderson, and many more has been kept alive by figures such as Ken Vandermark, Dave Rempis, Michael Zerang, Tortoise and many more. Some of the city’s finest appear on this release, led by guitarist Dan Phillips. Although Phillips – a Berklee and Northwestern graduate – has lived and worked in Thailand off and on since 2001 where he works as a Jazz Educator and performer in the region, he grew up in Illinois and lived in NYC for 5 years working with the likes of Jim Black, Ben Street, Chris Speed, Matt Darriau and many more. During this time abroad he has regularly returned home to his beloved Chicago to record and perform with his favorite musicians. From the mid 90s to the early 2000’s he lived in Chicago where he le and performed with groups featuring local talents Jeff Parker, Chad Taylor, Tim Daisy, Jeb Bishop, Hamid Drake, Dave Rempis, Michael Zerang, Avreeyl Ra, Josh Berman, Mars Williams, Rudresh Mahanthapa, Jim Baker, Jason Stein and Tatsu Aoki. |
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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. For more info check out www.danphillipsmusic.com or https://www.facebook.com/danphillipsguitarist/
For more info check out https://www.daverempis.com
For more info check out http://www.pabian.com
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Awards:
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What reviewers have said about Dan Phillips’ previous work: "He's a surgical technician when he wants to be, paring his notes down to their molecular formulas "A Once Forested Hill" and "Void Illusion" or he opens up possibilities with some indulgent abandon." "The musicians are demonstrating their own style and sound – they don’t hesitate to take on adventurous and bright improvisations, moody and dynamic twists, passionate blowing culminations go down to peaceful, sad, light and solemn pieces. The variety of moods and expressions effects emotional, impressive and dynamic sound. It’s constantly changing." "Insidious Anthem employs a small band sound reflecting the taut arrangements of leader and electric guitarist Dan Phillips, whose skills as a writer rival his improvisational talent. Hard to label.. the small group packs a strong punch." "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." "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. …” “… 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…” “… one of the most original guitarists and composers currently on the jazz scene… ”. “… brilliant recording of contemporary improvisation at it’s best….. an elite and highly imaginative composer…. Phillips has a very unique guitar style… ” “… he [Phillips] opens the vista in a swell of notes that cut, roll and sweep ahead in a near torrent… the textures weave and bob, taking flight on the wings of their imagination… ” “Phillips provides lush and full chord voicings in just the right places, and solos effortlessly. His tone is clean and traditional while his improvised lines are much more in the free jazz genre in their direction. Dan Phillips is an interesting player who blends a modern and free approach with a more mainstream tone.” “Phillips innovative and improvisational mindset is still held together with the glue that is his strict belief in melody. He seems to know, without hesitation, when to break free of the textbook, yet recovers back to the basic principles of arrangement and composition. As a fine navigator, Phillips sets his compass by pure gut instinct, a refreshing trait of a leader!” “Rising above the nauseam of the traditionally bland attempts from others in the past, Phillips always seems, in all his work, to strive and succeed in keeping the sound fresh and expressive in feel and style.” "When Phillips cuts loose he's as exciting a guitarist as there is, though he never abandons melody. He gets under the skin of the composer and inhabits a tune, reworking it in his own idiom. And as his originals here and on his previous albums as leader demonstrate, he creates pretty high standards of his own design." “Phillips is, without question, a skilled guitarist. His playing is fluid and understated, but he’s not above progressing through lengthy jams and pushing things to their limits. He solos deeply rather than broadly, tunnelling in to find the consistency of the notes and probing their meaning with sleek flourishes and impactful holds.” “Phillips in particular stands out for his fluid, whimsical articulations that’s alternately fleet-fingered and thoughtful, but always fresh and not clichéd. Phillips, as is made clear on this song, is one of those “looks hard, sounds effortless” type of guitar players. “ |
Lizard Breath Records |