By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Blood Songs
Matt Garrison is proof that one
need not be born into a musically oriented family, in order to become a
successful jazz artist. Neither parent is a musician; Dad was a draftsman
and CADAM designer, and Mom was a quilter and crafts maker. Regardless, young Matt
developed an interest in the saxophone and, early on, demonstrated a desire to
rearrange the music used by his high school concert band, and compose his own
melodies.
Garrison earned both an undergraduate and master’s degree at the Purchase
Conservatory of Music, in Westchester, New York. Garrison is fluent with
three of the reed instruments; he plays tenor, soprano and baritone sax on this
release.
The album title, Blood Songs (his
second release for DCleff Records), is a musical tribute to his
parents. Six of the songs are Garrison originals; one (“The More I See You”) is
his arrangement of that standard; and two others are composed by trombonist
Michael Dease (“Force”)
and trumpeter Greg Gisbert (“Modern Man”).
Garrison’s core group is a
quartet, with pianist Roy Assaf, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Ulysses
Owens Jr. This release also features five guest artists: the aforementioned Dease
and Gisbert who appear on all the tracks, plus tenor sax artist Eric Alexander
and guitarists Dave Kain and Andrew Swift, who contribute one track each.
No matter the specific cadre
utilized, the result is a happy, swinging set; all the tunes are done at mid-
to up-tempos except for the single standard, which retains its original
balladic format. The arrangements are not complex, yet every horn plays a
role in the unison passages, and the solo work is excellent.
I liked the
album the first time I played it, and loved it during repeat
playbacks. Garrison is a true talent, both on horn and as a
composer/arranger. He and this group have a bright jazz future.
No comments:
Post a Comment