A Group Effort - Chris Greene CD

Product Description CREDITS: Produced by Chris Greene for Cee Gee Music Co-produced, engineered and mixed by Joe Tortorici Mastered by Todd Carter at Bel_Air Sound Studio Photography by Ozzie Ramsay Recorded live in concert at The Mayne Stage on October 27, 2011. Design & layout by Michael Kostal LINER NOTES: These guys may be onto something. Every so often, a band comes along that straddles the jazz and pop scenes. They dont try to change the world, but dont cheat the listener, either; they engage new audiences without dumbing down the music. They respect the tradition but they give it a spin, which slowly builds a base, and then a fan club, and then a real following. Their recordings gain an iconic stature, apart from their objective quality; the talent is there, but the listeners hear more - something else, something that grabs them in ways they didnt expect. Over the last seven years, the CGQ has shown signs of becoming one of those bands. The list of such bands stretches from coast to coast, filled with regional favorites whose popularity grew until they finally eclipsed the neighborhoods that formed them. It includes a 1950s San Francisco pianist, Vince Guaraldi - whose local fame grew into his iconic status (as the man who composed music for the "Peanuts" TV specials) - and a small-town Pennsylvania pianist named John Coates, Jr., whose gentle iconoclasm (captured in recordings made at the previously unknown Deer Head Inn) left its mark on a young Keith Jarrett in the early 60s. The list includes Charles Lloyds band, which arose from obscurity to suddenly appear on everyones turntable in the mid-60s; and the Chuck Mangione Quartet - a solid jazz partnership in the 1970s that grabbed a young new crowd, before its music turned to mush; and, at the top of the list, Dave Brubeck, who two decades earlier had barnstormed the college campuses that soon became his nationwide community. Im not guaranteeing that the Chicago-based CGQ will have that kind of success: times have changed, and even music with the right edge cant always cut through the modern clutter. But if they do get there, I wont be shocked, either. On their first in-concert CD, buoyed by an appreciative crowd, saxophonist Chris Greene and his simpatico teammates demonstrate their spirited approach to the jazz conundrum: How to keep the music fresh and new, without resorting to foolishness that dilutes the idioms power and promise? For Greene, the answer lies in using familiar materials - the funk and hip-hop he heard growing up - as a bridge to casual listeners looking for more. But not as a gimmick. "My intention for using funk, not to be too lofty about it, is the same as that of Bartok or Beethoven, when they used folk melodies as an element in their compositions," Greene explains. "So when theres funk in the music, its because I hear it there, and not because Im just trying to please the audience." He has help. Steve Corley (on drums) and Marc Piane (on bass) play a huge part in making this band tick. The music comes packed with infectious but tricky rhythms; Corley and Piane have tamed that element without draining any of its life-force. And Damian Espinosa on piano? Fuhgeddaboudit. Hes been with Greene the longest, and it shows: he illuminates the musics wealth of possibilities with the same ardor as the leader himself. The music isnt just for kids, by the way. Not so long ago, at a free concert in Chicago, Greene recounts, "a 60-ish black lady comes up - a lady whod seen a lot in her time, heard people like Duke Ellington and Count Basie - and she said, You know, you guys remind me of how jazz was played back in the day. She saw right through all the funk and the other stuff and got the traditional element. She found the honesty; she knew we were coming right out of the tradition." Im telling you. These guys may be onto something. NEIL TESSER. Review There are no sweet ballads or perfumed waltzes in the set; instead, the music takes off with a splash of funk, a good portion of hard bop and a lot of intensity. Greene and his very able quartet come together for one exotic session in A Group Effort, culminating in one exceptional live recording. --Edward Blanco, All About Jazz.And what about Greene you ask? Though the old saying goes the sum is greater than its parts, Greene s sound is a sum unto itself. Listening to him flow from one song to the next, his understanding of music and his ability to mold it into what he wants it to be is the stuff legends are made of. --Bridget Arnwine, ExaminerA friendly smile of an album. ...Tunes that can show a face of groove and funk, others that show an inkling of rocking out, others that bring Latin motifs... and it all works nice together. Recorded live, some of that edge-of-the-precipice excitement of live shows comes through on this album. Shore Up and Stat bring a nice meditative vibe to pieces. Recommended. --Dave Sumner, eMusic

Specifics

  • Album: A Group Effort
  • Artist: Chris Greene
  • Label: chrisgreenequartet4
  • Genre: Jazz
  • MPN: SM006
Tracklist

1. Introduction by William Kurk
2. Bride of Mr.Congeniality
3. Shore Up
4. Future Emperor of Evanston
5. Stat
6. Three & Six
7. Blue Bossa

(CD-800492216831)

SKU CD-800492216831
Barcode # 800492216831
Brand chrisgreenequartet4
Shipping Weight 0.0700kg
Shipping Width 0.140m
Shipping Height 0.010m
Shipping Length 0.140m

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