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MP3 Jon Wertheim Group - Returning
7 MP3 Songs in this album (43:52) !
Related styles: Jazz: Contemporary Jazz, Jazz: Jazz quartet, Instrumental
People who are interested in Aaron Parks Kurt Rosenwinkel Robert Glasper should consider this download.
Details:
RETURNING is drummer Jon Wertheim''s debut record. It covers a lot of ground, from the contemplative title ballad to a hard-swinging "Reflections," hip-hop inflections and quiet lyricism. But even though RETURNING covers a lot of musical inspirations and directions, that doesn''t mean it''s a scattered or haphazard record. Far from it. The album is motivated by a very specific and personal vision and concept.
"The interlude, ''Natane''s Dream,'' is about dreams. Dreams are both literal and metaphorical - we have dreams every night, whether we know it or not, but we also have life dreams," says Wertheim. "The title tune is kind of about that. I wrote it for my girlfriend, whose voice is on the interlude, because I was about to go away for a while, and the tune was written with that idea of the sadness of separation lightened by the dreams of returning in mind."
The rest of the album''s program is varied. Pianist Ahmad Hassan Muhammad, whose own debut record is expected in September 2010, contributed two tunes, the hip-hop-inflected "Open Your Eyes" and the swinging "Betrayal." "I wrote that with Kurt Rosenwinkel''s ''Safe Corners'' in mind," he says of the latter. "Betrayal" is driven by a slow, deep swing and the driven improvisations from the quartet. "Open Your Eyes," a trio tune, is more restrained but no less engaging. The contrasts between the slow, simpler passages and the more complex bridge create a fascinating tension.
"What Spring Does," another quartet tune, is an intensely lyrical ballad by guitarist Eli Gilbert. Here, it''s taken re-imagined as a bossa. "We all thought that the feel of the bossa groove was more springy, more bouncy - that it emphasized the joy of the tune and the beauty of the melodic line."
The album''s two standards, "Reflections" and "Easy To Love," are given a fresh sound by the group. "Most people do ''Reflections,'' well, reflectively, as a ballad," Wertheim says. "Most people do ''My Funny Valentine'' as a ballad too, but these tunes can be sped up and still be true to what we interpret as the composer''s intent. Why are reflections always sad? They aren''t. Our reflections are more happy memories than sad or pensive ones, and that''s okay." As for "Easy to Love," it''s re-imagined in 7/4 time, with the melody of another standard, "Tea For Two" added to the end. "I love the sound of seven," Wertheim says. "Sometimes melodies in odd meters sound forced. I love finding older melodies that really fit into the time, like these do." It''s a perfect match.
The four musicians of RETURNING are part of the new jazz generation, the generation that''s been influenced by Kurt Rosenwinkel, Robert Glasper, Aaron Parks, Mark Turner, Larry Grenadier. They are the future of this music. Hear that future on this record. I''m sure it will continue surprise you, and only true artists have the power of surprise. This will be a record to return to again and again.
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