RVANews

Compass Rose Orchestra

Aaron Williams — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:28:44 +0000

The Richmond jazz scene is all about bands. While the Compass Rose Orchestra has been around for a few years, they are gaining momentum and are quickly becoming one of the premier original music groups in Richmond. On Friday February 17th, Compass Rose Orchestra releases their first album. A self titled CD, Compass Rose Orchestra features seven tunes tunes that include three Fritz originals, a Berhanu original, a Munoz original and as well as "Crimes" by The Blood Brothers, and "Strange Brew" by Eric Clapton.

Compass Rose Orchestra is definitely worth purchasing and Compass Rose Orchestra is definitely worth seeing live. You can do both on Friday night at the Camel.

Compass Rose Orchestra and The Congress perform tomorrow night at the Camel:

The Camel, 1621 W. Broad Street

8:30 - Compass Rose Orchestra plays the entire album
9:45 - Compass Roes Orchestra plays some surprising covers...
10:30 - The Congress Free Before 8PM Admission
$10 (Under 21-$12)

Listen:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/01-Purple-UP.mp3|titles=Purple UP!|artists=Compass Rose Orchestra]

Compass Rose Orchestra is:
Lucas Fritz - Trumpet, Arrangements
Suzi Fishcer - Alto Saxophone
Jonathan Gibson - Tenor Saxophone
Alex Powers - Trombone
Paul Willson - Guitar
Devonne Harris - Wurlitzer, Piano
Andrew Randazzo - Bass
Abinnet Berhanu - Drums
Armando Munoz - Vocals

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Listening back: Miller’s Band (set #2)

Aaron Williams — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:00:45 +0000

In Listening Back, we chronicle the happenings at The Camel’s free weekly jazz series on Tuesday nights. Be there if you can. After a bit of a break, listening back has returned. In an effort to catch up, a new set will be released every day until the vaults are empty.
The Miller's Band features John D'earth, JC Kuhl, Pete Sparr, Jamal Milner and Devonne Harris.

Listen to The Miller's Band's second set:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Millers-Band-@-The-Camel-set-2-04.05.11.mp3|titles=Set #2|artists=Miller's Band]

Check back tomorrow for another great set from The Camel and keep checking back everyday until we empty the vault.

Listening Back: Miller’s Band

Aaron Williams — Tue, 31 May 2011 10:00:05 +0000

In Listening Back, we chronicle the happenings at The Camel’s free weekly jazz series on Tuesday nights. Be there if you can. After a bit of a break, listening back has returned. In an effort to catch up, a new set will be released every day until the vaults are empty.
The Miller's Band features John D'earth, JC Kuhl, Pete Sparr, Jamal Milner and Devonne Harris.

Listen to The Miller's Band's first set:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Millers-Band-@-The-Camel-set-1-04.05.11.mp3|titles=Set #1|artists=Miller's Band]

Check back tomorrow for another great set from The Camel and keep checking back everyday until we empty the vault.

Listening Back: Devonne Harris’s Reeverb + 2 bonus sets

Dean Christesen — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 11:00:21 +0000

In Listening Back, we chronicle the happenings at The Camel’s free weekly jazz series on Tuesday nights. Be there if you can. But if you can’t, stop by here every Saturday for a recap in sights and sounds. This week, Devonne Harris's Reeverb continued the series, and we give you two bonus sets from Brooklyn's Suite Unraveling and Richmond's Ombak, captured at The Camel the night before.

photos by Amber Smith

It's about time that drummer and multi-instrumentalist Devonne Harris had a night to himself. He's one of Richmond's most in demand drummers as a side man, but the guy has plenty going on for himself. An active composer, jazz hip hop melder, beat maker, and now record label producer of his own Reeverb Music (Food For The World Productions), his many talents really shined on Tuesday.

First up, his Reeverb Trio was classic Devonne Harris: always in the pocket, yet always going somewhere new. With bassist Andrew Randazzo, keyboardist Brian Mahne, and saxophonist Tim Turner, the group warranted yelps and "oh shits" from the crowd around just about every corner.

Listen to the Devonne Harris's Reeverb Trio featuring Tim Turner:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/Devonne%20Harris%20and%20the%20Reeverb%20Jazz%20Group%20020111.mp3|titles=Live at The Camel February 1 2011|artists=Devonne Harris's Reeverb Trio featuring Tim Turner]

With drummer Corey Fonville at his side, Devonne manned his laptop, cueing his own original beats minus the drums. It was a playground for Fonville, who grooved incredibly hard with the pre-constructed tracks.

Listen to Devonne Harris "DJ Harrison" and Corey Fonville:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/DJ%20Harrison%20and%20Corey%20Fonville%20020111.mp3|titles=Live at The Camel February 1 2011|artists=Devonne Harris "DJ Harrison" and Corey Fonville]

One night earlier on Monday, Brooklyn's Suite Unraveling, Ombak, and SCUO played The Camel. As a bonus this week, take a listen to two of the sets. (SCUO performs at The Camel on Tuesday and so will be featured on next Saturday's Listening Back)

Listen to Suite Unraveling:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/Suite%20Unraveling%20013111.mp3|titles=Live at The Camel January 31 2011|artists=Suite Unraveling]

Listen to Ombak:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/Ombak%20013111.mp3|titles=Live at The Camel January 31 2011|artists=Ombak]

On Tuesday, Jazz By Numbers (Bryan Hooten, SCUO, Trio of Justice, Scott Clark 4tet) continues the free series. The Camel is located at 1621 W. Broad St. in Richmond, VA. More information is available at thecamel.org.

Listen back to other gigs in Richmond

UTV.chamber: The First Letter

Aaron Williams — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:00:45 +0000

With 11 tracks and some of the coolest CD packaging ever seen, UTV.chamber’s freshman release, The First Letter, is an exciting new way to experience the band. The record contains fresh sounds even to the spoiled listeners of Richmond, Virginia, its music equally as progressive and original as its industrial cardboard case.

The band stands apart before it plays a note with unique instrumentation; Marcus Tenney (tenor saxophone), David Hood (alto saxophone) and Mary Lawrence Hicks (flugelhorn) stand on the front line with Reginald Chapman (bass trombone) and Paul Willson (guitar) adding to the drums of Devonne Harris and percussion of Stuart Jackson. Chelsea Temple adds vocals on eight of the tracks, but listen carefully as sometimes her voice is only used to add to the already complex textures of unison lines.

Leader Reginald Chapman calls himself a “collage artist.” His passive vision enables the eight unique voices of the band to combine into an even more unique collective voice. While Chapman is the creative leader behind many of the compositions, he says they really come from working together, free improvisations, and just spending time together playing music.

The personnel in UTV.chamber came together through friendship as opposed to some intricate plan. The band boasts jazz, classical, and rock musicians and all of those experiences have led to a diverse album with every track bringing something entirely new to the table. Self labeled as avant-pop, the album blends instrumental pop hooks that will stick in your head, with sections of freer improvisation that enable voices as different as Tenney and Willson to explore their ideas.

Listen to "Penultimate Knob":
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/04%20Penultimate%20Knob.mp3|titles=Penultimate Knob|artists=UTV.Chamber]

“Follow Your Bliss” is ready for mainstream radio play complete with a catchy chorus, incredible Marcus Tenney solo, and simple chord progression.

“Lessons in Unrequited Love” gives off a much more classical chamber ensemble vibe. John Cage comes to mind as the bass trombone loosely ties together prepared piano, a drum set ostinato and Willson playing percussive guitar. Not a second later, Tenney begins repeating a smooth theme. The drums cue in a through-composed fanfare with a loose canon feel.

The joy abruptly ends as the bass trombone covered in a heavy effect lays down a thumping bass line. Bouncing back and forth between the fanfare and the far more aggressive section, the journey finally descends into a loose chaos. Every percussion instrument imaginable plays off of Chapman and Willson until an abbreviated fanfare finally leaves the listener comfortable.

"Black Belly Dove" is a throw back to the band's origins. Chapman leaves character and plays more like a horn player; the lack of a bass voice leaves extra freedom for exploration and Harris’ drumming pushes all of the horn players to new creative heights.

The First Letter does a great job of capturing the band. Recorded almost entirely in complete takes over two days at Lance Koehler’s relaxed and homey Minimum Wage Recording, every member of the band sounds at ease. It has a live feeling but with the clarity of professional recording and mixing.

It is an entirely different listening experience than the band’s regular home at the Black Hand Coffee Company. Koehler masterfully captures the subtle complexities of the horn players that are often missed in the venues of Richmond. Additionally, mutli-tracked vocals, vocal effects and other techniques used on the horns add an entirely new dimension to the sound of the band.

While this album only scratches the surface of all the things that UTV.chamber has and will explore, it offers a fresh way to hear them play. With their potential as individuals and as a unit it will be exciting to see what the future holds for them.

Track Listing: Calculation Theme; Zoe; Black Belly Dove; Penultimate Knob; Lamplighter; Follow Your Bliss; The First Letter; Lessons in Unrequited Love; Homegrin; Earth; Old Man Theme

Personnel: Reginald Chapman, bass trombone; Chelsea Temple, vocals; David Hood, alto saxophone; Marcus Tenney, tenor saxophone; Mary Lawrence Hicks, flugelhorn; Paul Willson, guitar; Devonne Harris, drums; Stuart Jackson, percussion.

Listening Back: Lucas Fritz Quintet and Old Soul

Dean Christesen — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 11:00:45 +0000

In Listening Back, we chronicle the happenings at The Camel’s free weekly jazz series on Tuesday nights. Be there if you can. But if you can’t, stop by here every Saturday for a recap in sights and sounds. This week, Lucas Fritz Quintet and Old Soul continued the series.

photos by Lauren Serpa

Presenting the next generation. They find a balance between blues shuffles and back beats, jazz standards and indie rock ballads, respecting where jazz came from and experimenting with where it can go. Trumpeter and band leader Lucas Fritz is that kind of student. With a slightly more straight-ahead angle than his larger Compass Rose Orchestra, his quintet still mixes in the funk- and hip-hop-influenced tunes, like Chris Potter's "Ultrahang" and Tigran Hamasyan's "Falling." Otherwise, it's originals from the almost-VCU-grad whose springtime senior recital approaches.

Listen to the Lucas Fritz Quintet:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/Lucas%20Fritz%20Quintet%20at%20The%20Camel%20012511.mp3|titles=Live at The Camel January 25 2011|artists=Lucas Fritz Quintet]

Tenor saxophonist Jonathan Gibson, drummer Abbinet Berhanu, bassist Andrew Randazzo, guitarist Paul Willson, and Fritz
Gibson and Fritz
Randazzo

Guitarist Paul Willson's Old Soul is the next step in his musical progression after his previous group, the ECM-like Yellow Grass. With Marcus Tenney and David Hood on tenor and alto saxes, Devonne Harris on Rhodes, drummer Matt Coyle, bassist Evan Sarver, and singer Lydia Ooghe, the energy is more pumped up with Old Soul, but still in a meditative way (one piece abstractly deals with the concept of dreaming and the abrupt transition to consciousness). The singer-songwriter Ooghe lends her beautiful voice, Tenney shreds, and Hood sounds more Hodges-meets-Braxton than ever. There's gold in the details, but the best part is the big picture.

Listen to Old Soul:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/Old%20Soul%20at%20The%20Camel%20012511.mp3|titles=Live at The Camel January 25 2011|artists=Old Soul]

Old Soul
Marcus Tenney and David Hood
Devonne Harris

On Tuesday, Devonne Harris's Reeverb Trio continue the free series. The Camel is located at 1621 W. Broad St. in Richmond, VA. More information is available at thecamel.org.

Listen back to other gigs in Richmond

Two trios tear it up at The Camel

Dean Christesen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:00:53 +0000

Last night at The Camel, Trio of Justice and Marcus Tenney Trio continued the venue's weekly jazz series to an enthusiastic crowd. Even trombonist Sam Savage was there to share in the magic, and we got audio from the whole night.

I've missed Trio of Justice. The sounds they get with their unorthodox instrumentation -- trombone, tuba, drums, give or take a few odd others -- are like no other. It's as if they broke out of a brass band and then took elements of what they heard in hip hop and math rock. Trombonist Reggie Pace and tubaist/trombonist Reggie Chapman, at least, help form No BS! Brass Band but here bring an entirely new harmonic palette to the table. Devonne Harris has a crisp sensibility on drums, and he's able to play powerfully while intuitively.

Listen to Trio of Justice's set:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/Trio%20of%20Justice%20@%20The%20Camel%20(01.04.10).mp3|titles=Live at The Camel January 4 2011|artists=Trio of Justice]

Marcus Tenney used to play trumpet exclusively (think along the lines of Freddie Hubbard's style), but seems to only pick up his tenor saxophone these days (think Coltrane or Joe Henderson). It's no surprise, then, that he chooses to only play his newer instrument with his trio that features drummer Harris and bassist Andrew Randazzo. Tenney takes extended solos over Henderson's "Shade of Jade" and "Inner Urge," Coltrane's "A Moment's Notice," and Sam Rivers's "Beatrice," while his rhythm section urges him along.

Listen to Marcus Tenney Trio's set:
[audio:http://media.rvanews.com/Marcus%20Tenney%20Trio%20@%20The%20Camel%20(01.04.10).mp3|titles=Live at The Camel January 4 2011|artists=Marcus Tenney Trio]

Tuesday night Jazz @ The Camel continues next week with Scott Clark 4tet and UTV. Visit thecamel.org for more info.

Thanks to Lucas Fritz for the audio, Shaun Lilley for photos

Guitar summit (but everyone’s invited)

Dean Christesen — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:42:34 +0000

Looking into an audience of mostly musicians between tunes on a Monday night in December, guitarist Alan Parker quipped something to the effect of "Welcome to the RVA jazz musician's summit." It was a pretty accurate assessment: like that one, some shows just turn out to be musician hangs with nary a casual non-musician observer in the house.

On Tuesday night at The Camel, Alan will hold a "guitar summit," and it's happening on the stage this time instead of among the audience.

In addition to his own group, Alan has invited two other guitarists -- Karl Morse and Adam Larrabee -- to lead their bands. The jazz diplomacy begins around 8:30 with Karl Morse Quartet, featuring saxophonist Jonathan Gibson, bassist Andrew Randazzo, and drummer Devonne Harris. Alan's AP Connection, which includes bassist Cameron Ralston and drummer Billy Williams, hits next. Adam Larrabee Trio featuring bassist Randall Pharr and drummer Brian Jones (the same group that was originally slated to perform at RVAJazzfest before the snow kicked in) will close the night out, beginning around 11. That group recently put out their album Money Jungle (a re-imagining of the Ellington/Mingus/Roach classic), so we might expect to hear some of those cuts.

View event details

Trio of Justice: Without hesitation

Bryan Hooten — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:00:44 +0000

The other day, I ambushed Trio of Justice (formerly R2DToo), a relatively new band comprised of Reggie Pace, Reginald Chapman, and Devonne Harris, after one of their rehearsals. We got to talking about the band, their music, their new name and what makes Richmond such a trombone-friendly city. Devonne even talks a little smack, ensuring his place in the RVA Trombone mafia for years to come. They all speak with the same humor, spontaneity and sophistication that inspire their music. Trio of Justice will perform at RVAJazzfest this Saturday along with the Adam Larrabee Trio and Ombak+Ray Anderson.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/8870703[/vimeo]

View more photos of Trio of Justice on Flickr

RVAJazzfest featuring Ray Anderson & Ombak, Adam Larrabee Trio, and Trio of Justice takes place on Saturday, February 6, 2010, at 9pm at The Camel, 1621 W Broad St., Richmond VA. Click here to purchase tickets.

Model for a Monday

Dean Christesen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:11:41 +0000

There's something special about jazz on Monday nights around here. The evening is often left blank on the calendars, reserved for people to stay home and lament the return of the working week. Not all of us are lamenters, though, and some people can really get behind a solid night of Monday music. In this case, solid it was last night at The Camel with three bands: two brand new quintets and a trio with a new name.

The evening began with Trio of Justice, the sousaphone-trombone-drums trio formerly known as R2Dtoo (named for its members Reggie Chapman, Reggie Pace, and Devonne Harris). Low brass and percussion -- perhaps the two instrument families capable of the loudest volumes and heaviest weights -- are their tools, and their only ones. Their sound is deep: aside from the snare drum's crack and the cymbals's pings and washes, very few tones from the band register as anything but bass or baritone. The upper registers that people are used to hearing in music are not as present, but the three seem to realize this and use their inventive abilities to accommodate for the missing frequencies. They are experts in natural-sounding grooves in the oddest of meter combinations (that are guided by melody, not contrived logic) and loose time feels that speed and slow to radical extremes.

Like most Richmond musicians, the men of the Jason Scott 5 are no strangers to playing together, but it's new to see them collaborating in a group like this one. Guitarist Scott Burton augments the small group of Fight the Big Bull members: tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Scott, trumpeter Bob Miller, bassist Cameron Ralston, and drummer Pinson Chanselle. Despite the personnel, a FTBB microcosm is the last thing that the Jason Scott 5 is.

With an affection for the music of Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, and Lee Konitz (his gig last week featured the music of all three), some of Jason's original compositions are melodically quick, complex, and thrilling. "Department of Ed." was glorious and constantly evolved to new sections, each one related to the last but still different. The Ornette Coleman-ish "E.M.T." began with a Blackwell/Haden drum and bass vamp before a staggering melody entered, diving in and out of three-part harmony. "Character 2052" told the tale of Jason's essay-writing frustrations and difficulties with the Richmond Department of Education in a klezmer-rock and, again, evolving style. "ANA" was simply beautiful.

Many of the tunes were composed by Jason for his graduate recital at NYU seven years ago. With a strong group giving the music life once again, this group would make a brilliant album. And hopefully they do, soon.

The lights dimmed for the Alan Parker 5, another new combination of familiar musicians. This time, the guitarist has added bassist Andrew Randazzo and tenor saxophonist Kevin Simpson along with his former AP Connect 4 members Billy Williams on drums and tenor saxophonist Marcus Tenney. Marcus is still a relatively new convert from the trumpet to tenor sax, but he more than just holds his own on the new instrument. His and Kevin's playing offset each other nicely: Marcus's tone is bright with Coltrane-like flurries and arpeggios, while Kevin has more of a weathered sound. Billy's drumming is similar to other contemporary and "urban" jazz drummers like Chris Dave and Jamire Williams: explosive, pulling from modern sources of rhythm, and heavily syncopated.

Alan's compositions are Jazz Now material, exciting and challenging, but extremely accessible thanks to fat beats and funky melodies.

Musicircus in Photos, Part 2

Dean Christesen — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:20:52 +0000

In part 2 of photos from Thursday's Musicircus, we see some more musicians who participated in the event. There's a photo of nearly every musician who performed on Flickr. If you couldn't make the event and it's audio and video that you crave, hang tight.

Brian Jones with Fight the Big Bull

A mobile Happy Lucky Combo

The Burton Brothers: Scott and Taylor

Mary Lawrence Hicks, Reggie Chapman, and Chelsea Temple of Use The Vastness

Gamelan Raga Kusuma

Devonne Harris's reeverb

Ballard Midyette and Sherri Oyen

Labragenda

Trey Pollard and Jimmy Masters

Go to Musicircus in Photos, Part 1 or view the entire set on Flickr.

Using, exploring, and championing the vastness

Dean Christesen — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:50:35 +0000

Use The Vastness (UTV) is doing something right. Still only a new project by bass trombonist Reggie Chapman, the band is quickly finding its sound and its musical niche. It's postmodern music from a postmodern generation, yet it urges our scatterbrained youth to slow down with long and thoughtful group improvisations and tantalizing orchestrations.

At a special recital at VCU's James Black Recital Hall yesterday, the group delivered one of their finest performances yet. The hall has a character all its own. (Musicians and audiences will debate whether it's a good or bad character) The space that used to be a church has high ceilings, a large stage, and church pew seating, and you never forget where you are while watching a performance. Put a unique band like UTV on the stage and a memorable set ensues.

The band's instrumentation is a curious one. Led by Chapman, the ensemble consists of Marcus Tenney on tenor saxophone, David Hood on alto saxophone, Mary Lawrence Hicks on flugelhorn, Chelsea Temple on vocals, Devonne Harris on wurlitzer, and Brett Ripley on drums. All ranges of the sonic spectrum are covered, but in unusual ways. Chapman's trombone often fills the bass role, and sometimes Ripley's bass drum alone provides the low end. All other instruments run the gamut; melodies and inner voices are played by all.

The set began with a free improvisation, whitenoise from a radio as the catalyst. Harris's wurlitzer played a note that bled in and out of the radio's fading static. The hall lent reverb to each sound that entered: Hicks's trumpet clinking against her vest's metal buttons, a mallet striking a drum's rim, a radio DJ's voice quickly tuning into static.

Tactfully segueing into their rendition of Minus The Bear's "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse," recent trumpeter-cum-saxophonist Tenney demonstrated his quickly achieved facility on the instrument, accompanied only by Chapman's bass line. The other horns entered, and the piece began to bear semblance to beautifully orchestrated chamber pop.

The drum kit is the instrument that seems the most out of place, but Ripley makes it work with unconventional ways of playing. After all, everyone in the band is a remarkable time keeper, freeing Ripley to create textures to counter or add to that of the horns.

"The First Letter" welcomed Temple to the stage. Her clean and straight-toned voice sang a wordless melody, wandering and tone row-ish, while the rest of the band illustrated looking into a deep abyss, their dark harmonies mystifying. Harris's keys had trouble peeking through the lush texture of the front line, but when they did, they only enhanced the moment.

"Calculation Theme" had an indie-rock sensibility to it in Temple's simple melody. (One would only have to replace the array of horns with an acoustic guitar) But the band thrives on this kind of thing. The drama in the chorus's lyrics -- "I wish we were lovers..." -- was heightened by the intensity in the horns, keys, and drums.

The first of two Indian-inspired pieces was Ravi Shankar's "Asato Maa." The piece took on so many lives in its various sections. Electronic tanpura began with its buzzing drone and the section built with the addition of saxophones, a chain link dragged on a floor-dwelling drum, a stately melody declared by Chapman and Hicks, Harris toying with a harmonica. The piece ended in a group vocal chant with Chapman securing the bass and Hicks -- surprisingly -- just above him in harmony.

Chapman's notable No BS! Brass contribution, "Brass Scene Kids," was converted into a UTV tune with the addition of vocals. The trombonist displayed his quick chops that people are accustomed to hearing in the brass band. A couple brooding breaks improvised among the band came off as slightly cliché, and one impromptu section before the final chorus wore thin. The ending forgives all, though, in a moment of intensity that stands up to even No BS!

"Penultimate Knob," aptly placed in the set, began with an unforgettable theme between tenor sax and bass trombone. There was an unevenness to Tenney's line, but drums kicked in with a straight beat just in time. The tune was filled with room for Chapman to play. His ability to alter his tone is respectable: he's capable of imitating the smooth portamento of a fretless bass and the vibrating harshness of a chain saw where it sees fit.

The tanpura drone returned for the final piece, Ripley's "Blue Raga." In one of the most stunning moments of the evening, Chapman's trombone -- muted with a Harmon mute, stem in -- and Hicks's flugelhorn -- played into a metal mixing bowl on a chair -- imitated a sitar with striking accuracy. The music developed with the entrance of Ripley's strong doumbek playing creating a multi-metered phrase. Smoothly and effectively, the four horn players split two and two into the wings, clapping the tala and chanting, while Harris mused on the wurlitzer.

In just over an hour, UTV played a set of great variety and execution. Their music was dynamic, creative, and thought-provoking, and there's not much more to ask for than that.

Use The Vastness is: Reggie Chapman: bass trombone; Marcus Tenney: tenor saxophone; David Hood: alto saxophone; Mary Lawrence Hicks: flugelhorn; Chelsea Temple: vocals; Devonne Harris: wurlitzer; Brett Ripley: drums, percussion.

Set list: Free improvisation, Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse, The First Letter, Calculation Theme, Asato Maa, Brass Scene Kids, Penultimate Knob, Blue Raga.

View more photos from the recital

Visit Use The Vastness on Myspace

Jason Arce Live at Bogart’s: Sights and sounds

Dean Christesen — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:15:00 +0000

The Jason Arce gig at Bogart's on Friday, June 5, was recorded by Rocket Jackson and is now available for listening on ReverbNation and below. Bogart's, in its new location, is currently under stress tests by musicians and patrons to see if it can live up to the reputation of the old Lombardy back room. While current features of the venue are questionable--like a dividing wall that can impede vision from the bar and the lack of a stage--music heard last weekend is a testament to the possibilities at Bogart's. The band was absolutely burning and was made up of Jason Arce (saxophones), John D'Earth (trumpet), Devonne Harris (Fender Rhodes), Corey Fonville (drums), and Andrew Randazzo (bass).

From Jason Arce @ Bogart's

photos by Lucas Fritz

Rumble on Vine Street

Dean Christesen — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:13:00 +0000

by Tom Beekman
RVAjazz contributor

Beekman, in his first RVAjazz contribution since the website's anonymous days, reviews last Saturday's "Vine St. Rumble," a backyard barbecue-styled all-day affair at which several up-and-coming groups performed.

I need provisions. Getting me out of the house has been quite the task these last couple of weeks. For this quest, I will require: beer and cigarettes. I’m getting ahead of myself.

I wouldn’t consider myself a 'jazz guy.' I do not play jazz. I, at one point, owned every Dream Theater CD, and, at another point, every release from the Dave Matthews Band. I like TV. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used the word 'killin', and it's usually to describe a Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich. I don’t think that musical merit is completely based on technical ability or overt weirdness. Now, you might say "Tom, there isn't a protocol to liking or disliking jazz" and I would say I agree. But, for the purposes of this article and the blog it will be published on, I will NOT pretend to know everything about Ken Vandermark or pretend that Miles Davis single-handedly quelled the Vietnam War. Call me crazy, but this made me the ideal candidate to write about this concert.

It's hot. The first day of the year that it was really, really hot. On the bike, I immediately pass a quartet of girls in their summer clothes, which makes me think of that Springsteen song "Girls in their summer clothes" but I need to shake these Boss thoughts out of my head, I have a jazz-b-cue to attend.

If you asked me after a few minutes of biking in this weather what the most refreshing thing I could think of was, I would say standing in the beer cave at the Trolley Market, which is precisely what I did. I elect to bring six Rolling Rocks because they are cold and green bottles make me feel like a hipster for some reason.

Tenney, Hicks, Chapman, & Hood of Use the Vastness

Rolling up to the Rumble, I am immediately greeted by a horn band called Use the Vastness. David Hood, Marcus Tenney, Chelsea Temple, Brett Ripley, Mary Lawrence Hicks, Reggie Chapman and a drummer I don’t immediately recognize (Stuart Jackson) are jamming away on a kind of busy New Orleans shuffle tune. To a lay person, they might sound unrehearsed, but the cacophonous, thick textures and dynamic changes they lay down could never go unnoticed. This is Stravinsky jazz: a little weird but always retaining a sense of groove and freshness. I make a grave error of sitting in the sun for the duration of this group.

Ripley & Jackson of Use the Vastness

People mill around me and I'm slowly getting drunker. A friend of mine once told me that when you drink in the sun, the sun wins every time. After just one beer I am feeling it, so I elect to hit the water pretty hard instead--gotta keep my brain up so I can do my journalistic duties.

I chat up the bassist of the next group, who claims his band sounds like folk and folk-rocker Sufjan Stevens. I debate him on this claim, due to the obvious lack of a wind quintet, and we agree to pick up where we left off after the band finishes. He also reminds me that they were in the 2008 RVA Mag "Bands to watch out for" section.

Wow. A group that actually has their shit together. Jungle Beat is a quartet of acoustic instruments, guitar, violin, upright bass, and drum kit. While the songwriting may be Sufjan, the lead singer's voice hearkens something different, a little earthy and yearning. I decide that I love this band immediately and so does the jazz crowd bobbing their heads around me. A violin playfully banters with the male vocal, and three part harmonies come and go. I decide that three of the four band members are in love with each other, and make up all sorts of funny Fleetwood Mac scenarios in my head. My girlfriend will later tell me that only two of them are in love with each other, IRL.

Best moment of this band: An older gentleman saunters up to the edge of the backyard smoking a nice cigar and drinking a Miller Light from the bottle, listens to 4 songs, then abruptly leaves.

Yellow Grass follows. At this point, an overall malaise has drifted across the backyard. I've been in the sun for more hours than since the summer of 2008. Slow jams are in the cards however, making me more pre-occupied with breaking the line of ants that are crawling around my cargo shorts, they get so discombobulated. BUT! You cannot write this group off as being boring, oh no.

Randazzo, Wilson, Gibson, & Heemstra of Yellow Grass

Paul Wilson's compositions float through the summer air and the group is tighter than I expected. I am informed that this is the band's maiden voyage, and they did not play Maiden Voyage--so much for jazz jokes. Wilson utilizes the upper-mid range of the guitar much better than I had originally expected. Solos smooth like Metheny, drip with overdrive and sing with reverb--sonorities tensioned and slackened while Andrew Randazzo (bass) and Sam Sherman (drums) groove away. Jonathan Gibson (tenor) and Ben Heemstra (flugelhorn) add subtle touches to the texture, and give some great solos in their own right. I decide this is epic-guitar jazz, because Wilson makes the guitar not only an accompaniment instrument but a soaring, majestic hawk flying over Richmond on this warm evening. I decide this transfiguration is scary, so I duck inside to grab another beer.

Between groups I finally grab a chair and chat with a few folks. By this point, there are at least 30 people in the backyard, most of which I am well acquainted with, and some of which I've never met. Lucas Fritz is a fine host, dancing around the party in his sideways hat and his Bulls home-red Jordan Jersey. He grills, he mingles, he greets the new people that have come into his yard. Now it is his turn to play.

The Fritztet Offensive sets up and I am immediately expecting some interesting things. Devonne Harris sits in front of a pretty Wurlitzer electric piano, Ben White in front of an analog synth. Sam Sherman takes a seat on his drum throne and Chris Harrison, from the aforementioned Jungle Beat, takes a spot in the middle with a bass. The frontline: Wilson (guitar), Suzi Fischer (alto), and Fritz (trumpet). Lucas informs the gathering crowd that they are the Fritztet Offensive and I laugh--I'm always game for a good 'Nam joke.

They play arrangements of some of Fritz's favorite songs. Cream, Bjork, Rufus Wainwright. Not straight-up arrangements, but some interesting re-imaginations of the tunes

. The front line are all accomplished soloists and they show it during their spots. Fischer, with her oh-so-silky tone, commands respect from the rest of the band to just shut up a little and listen. Fritz, who holds a trumpet to his face like he's drinking through the coolest, silveriest, most trumpet shaped straw ever, takes me on a journey through different mutes, sounds, and ideas while he improvises over the Bjork song.

White, kicks it old school at one point, mimicking those 'what are they?' sounds you asked in 1992 when The Chronic first came out. Harris, a spectacular keyboard player in his own right, dresses the music up nicely with his often-sparse, clustered, playing. I was afraid him and Wilson would get into a battle for the middle-range, but they stay out of each other's way pretty well.

Riding home, I couldn't help being surprised by what I had heard. Lucas Fritz not only put together a top-notch beer-b-cue, but he also highlighted some new, good groups that are often overlooked. With all due respect to these groups and their members: it was nice to go to a jazz concert and not see Big Bull or Ombak. It gives me hope that the jazz idiom in Richmond is thriving beneath the radar.

Tom Beekman is a monster. At 6'5" he dominates the basketball court and the kitchen. A music education major, he hopes one day to dominate the classroom with ferocity. Maybe not. In his free time he likes to work on his jump shot, grow beards, and occasionally practice classical guitar. Among his favorite people in Richmond are Eric Maynor, Lindsey Prather, Dean Christesen, and Pete. Cous Cous makes him smile, so does Commercial Taphouse. His favorite movie is Annie Hall, and his favorite month is March, the reasons should seem obvious.

Jason Arce – Simplicity (2008)

Dean Christesen — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:06:00 +0000

by Dean Christesen

Simplicity is a modest title for an album that has exciting complexities around every corner. Wild melodies, blazing solos, and unique interplay often mask any simplicity that is to be found in the music. But still, there is a certain welcomed basic-ness at the heart of saxophonist Jason Arce's debut release. Penned solely by Arce, the compositions are borne of a talented band full of life and energy.

The album firmly opens with the title track, featuring a sharp-edged wandering melody, but there is some titular truth to the very next piece, "Break the Wall." After a balladic intro with piano and sax, the band storms in. Trumpeter Bob Miller takes off running while propellants drummer Kelli Strawbridge and bassist Matt Hall surge with him. In the album's second instance of chivalrous behavior from the leader, Arce takes second solo to a band mate, but still manages to throw good manners out the window with his aggressive and adventurous playing. His varied use of space and fervent heat sets his band's course with democratic leadership and an open ear. The solo, like many on the disc, arcs beautifully and comes together at just the right moment.

Hall's strength on the backline is impeccable, and his ability to react to any situation and see and hear is quite omniscient. Fellow accompanists, guitarist Alan Parker and piano and wurlitzer player Devonne Harris, are equally extrospective, looking outwards before looking in, especially on "Time To Leave."

Strawbridge, insightful with often-explosive bursts of drums and cymbals, also looks outward to inspire each soloist. Even the calmer pieces are laced with a sense of vigor in his drumming, as on "57th Sunset." Harris's first trip to the drum throne on "New Relationship" brings ultra funky drumming with a fist full of a hip-hop vibe, and with the absence of keys, the music breathes a little better than the pieces before it.

The musicians often nod to Miles Davis's legendary second quintet (Strawbridge displays Tony Williams-like fire in his drum solo on "Happy Blues," and Harris immediately quotes the melody of "E.S.P." on the first track), although that doesn't stop Arce from exploring his own inspirations, life experiences, and the beginning of his journey as a leader.

Track listing: Simplicity; Break the Wall; End of the Night; Time to Leave; 57th Sunset; New Relationship; Forward Progress; Patiently Waiting; Happy Blues; Break the Wall (alt. take).

Personnel: Jason Arce: tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, piano (2,7); Devonne Harris: piano, wurlitzer, drums (6,7); Alan Parker: guitar; Matt Hall: bass; Bob Miller: trumpet (1-3,10); Sam Savage: trombone (8,9); Kelli Strawbridge: drums (1-5,8-10).

The album will be made available for purchase at the CD release party this Friday at The Camel.

Friday, August 1, 2008, 9 pm
Jason Arce Quintet w/ NO BS! Brass
The Camel
$6, all ages
Purchase Simplicity, $6 at the show ($10 after that)
[where: 1621 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23220]