A Look Beyond (Cap-Vert Illuminations) by Robin Verheyen

Robin Verheyen

A Look Beyond (Cap-Vert Illuminations)

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Challenge Records
UPC: 0608917340723
Catnr: CR 73407
Release date: 09 October 2015
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Label
Challenge Records

UPC
0608917340723

Catalogue number
CR 73407

Release date
09 October 2015

""My world doesn't stop at jazz" - Robin Verheyen"

Jazzism, 07-5-2016

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

Press

About the album

The music on this album is inspired by my recent travels to Senegal and my years of studying the music of French composer Olivier Messiaen. This multicultural project blends the compositional language of Messiaen, traditional West African music and the new sounds of the NYC jazz and improv scene. A big part of this music was written and influenced by my stay in Cap-Vert, the most western point of Africa in Dakar, Senegal. In the West African heritage, traditional rhythms can only be played by three or more drummers. I tried to represent the cultural identity of these rhythms in a new and different context where the harmony becomes as important as the rhythm. Instead of using a group of drummers, I recreated this sound by giving these rhythmic roles to a melodic instrument. I hope that the end result will create a deeper understanding of Messiaen’s music among jazz audiences in an uplifting way through the influences of African rhythm and improv jazz.
This album was recorded in September 2014 after a US tour with my quartet. The music for this project came together after I received a New Jazz Works Grant in 2013 from Chamber Music America. The musicians featured on this recording are some of the finest in jazz today. Russ Johnson has been an important force in the NYC jazz scene for many years and, since his move to the Chicago area, has become one of the major players in jazz in the Midwest. Drew Gress is one of the most in-demand bass players in jazz and has worked with some of the greatest musicians of our time. Percussionist/composer Jeff Davis has established himself in New York as a vital contributor to the local and international creative music scenes. Jeff is widely sought out for his unique, textural approach to the drum set, as well as for his power and intensity.
Robin Verheyen

“Von der Musik 'A Look Beyond' ließ ich mich von meinen Reisen im Senegal und meinen Studien der Musik von Olivier Messiaen inspirieren. Entstanden ist dabei ein multikulturelles Project, das die kompositorische Sprache Messiaens überblendet auf traditionelle Westafrikanische Musik und die neuen Sounds der New Yorker Jazz- und Improszene. Dabei war es mir wichtig vor allem die Afrikanischen Rhythmen in einen harmonischen Kontext zu setzten, so dass Harmonie und Rhythmus gleichermaßen von Bedeutung sind und so habe ich die rhythmischen Elemente in die Hände der Melodieinstrumente, statt in die der Rhythmusinstrumente, gelegt.” Robin Verheyen

Artist(s)

Russ Johnson (trumpet)

Born: July 8, 1965 Brooklyn based trumpeter Russ Johnson is an active performer in the jazz, improvised, and contemporary classical music scenes throughout the U.S. and abroad. In addition to leading his own groups, and co-leading The Other Quartet and New Math, Russ is currently touring as a member of Lee Konitz' new nonet and the Steve Swallow/Ohad Talmor “L'Histoire du Clochard” sextet. In addition, Russ has performed with a long list of musical heavyweights including; Kenny Wheeler, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Richie Beirach, Mark Ribot, Charles Earland, David Liebman, Joe Maneri, The Jazz Passengers, Oliver Lake, Myra Melford, Anthony Davis, Mick Rossi, Elvis Costello, Debbie Harry, Michael Bublé, Curtis Fowlkes, Roy Nathanson, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Brian Blade, Dick Oatts, Aretha Franklin, Tony Malaby, Jenny Scheinman, and Mat Maneri.
Russ is also active as an educator/clinician, having taught at colleges and universities across the U.S. and in Europe. He is currently teaching at The Center for Preparatory Studies in Music (CPSM) at Queens College, and is a member of the faculty at the Maine Jazz Camp.
His new recording, Save Big has recently been released on the OmniTone label to enthusiastic reviews. It is available online at OmniTone and amazon.com, as well as at Tower Records and other jazz outlets.
Russ Johnson is an Endorsing Artist for New York Trumpet Company, and plays NYTC by Possegger Bb trumpet exclusively.

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Drew Gress (bass)

Born: Yardley, Pennsylvania USA 1959 Bassist/composer Drew Gress performs extensively with artists on the cutting edge of contemporary improvised music. His latest project-The Irrational Numbers (Premonition), features DrewԳ original compositions for quintet. Earlier releases include the critically-acclaimed 7 Black Butterflies (2005), Spin & Drift (2001), and Heyday (1997). Future projects include a new quintet project, a solo bass recording, and an electronics projectȳoon to be unveiled. Drew can also be heard within the ensembles of John Abercrombie, Ralph Alessi, Tim Berne, Don Byron, Uri Caine, Bill Carrothers, Ravi Coltrane, Marc Copland, Mark Feldman, Fred Hersch, John Hollenbeck, Tony Malaby, and John Surman. (In an altogether previous musical life, he grounded the performances of Buddy Hackett, Phyllis Diller, Zoot Sims, Cab Calloway, and Pia Zadora). Drew has toured North and South America, Europe, and Asia, and has served as Artist-in-Residence at St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia and at the Paris Conservatoire. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and Chamber Music America, and currently resides in New York.
Drew is an endorsing artist for Thomastik Strings.

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Jeff Davis (drums)

Percussionist/composer Jeff Davis has established himself in New York as a vital contributor to the local and international creative music scenes. Jeff is widely sought out for his unique, textural approach to the drum set, as well as for his power and intensity. As a featured member of a number of creative ensembles in New York, Davis has recorded for such labels as Clean Feed, Fresh Sound/New Talent, Green Leaf, Loyal Label, Jazzaway, and innova records. These ensembles include the Jesse Stacken Trio, Michael Bates Outside Sources, Kirk Knuffke Quartet, Landon Knoblock Trio/Quartet, Ben Holmes Quartet, Pascal Niggenkemper ‘Newfield’ trio, Pedro Giruado Jazz Orchestra, Pete Robbins’ Unnamed Quartet, Jon Irabagon’s Outright!, Eivind Opsvik’s Overseas, Tone Collector(Tony Malaby, Eivind Opsvik, Jeff Davis), the RIDD Quartet, Kris Davis Quartet, and the Ryan Keberle Organ Group. In addition to these working bands, Davis has also performed with such artists as Tony Malaby, Chris Speed, Gebhard Ullmann, Brad Shepik, Ralph Alessi, and Ron Horton.
Davis has toured Europe and China and has performed at several prominent jazz festivals, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Oslo Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Jazz Festival, and the Earshot Jazz Festival. He performs regularly in various New York listening rooms, such as the Stone, the Jazz Standard, the Jazz Gallery, Birdland, NuBlu, Barbes, Zebulon, the Knitting Factory, Joe’s Pub, the Iridium, and the 55-Bar.
Jeff Davis is currently leading and composing for his own ensemble, featuring New York greats Tony Barba, Kirk Knuffke, Jon Goldberger, Kris Davis, and Eivind Opsvik. This group of like minded improvisers recorded for Davis’ debut CD in June of 2007, and is set to be released on Tuesday, March 30th 2010 for the record label, Loyal Label. The music from this group ventures to blur the line between composition and improvisation, and highlights equally the individual soloist as well as collective improvisation. Jeff also leads a trio/quartet featuring Matt Pavolka, Oscar Noriega, and Jon Goldberger.
Originally from Greeley, Colorado, Jeff Davis began playing marimba at the age of nine and later studied classical percussion at the University of Northern Colorado. While in Colorado, Jeff had the opportunity to study and perform with ECM recording artist/pianist Art Lande and trumpet great Ron Miles. Davis holds a Masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

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Composer(s)

Robin Verheyen (saxophone)

At 40, Robin Verheyen is considered one of the top European saxophone players and composers having made NYC and the US musician’s community his home. Established here since 2007, he quickly built a reputation as a player and composer. He has worked with jazz greats such as Gary Peacock, Ralph Alessi, Joey Baron and many others. In 2014 he traveled to Senegal to immerse himself in the local music scene, using the experience towards a long-term process of bringing together West African rhythms with the modernistic harmonies of French composer Olivier Messiaen. This is representative of Verheyen’s cross-genre approach to music, something that has become a mainstay in his oeuvre. In January 2018 Verheyen released When the Birds Leave on Universal...

In 2014 he traveled to Senegal to immerse himself in the local music scene, using the experience towards a long-term process of bringing together West African rhythms with the modernistic harmonies of French composer Olivier Messiaen. This is representative of Verheyen’s cross-genre approach to music, something that has become a mainstay in his oeuvre. In January 2018 Verheyen released When the Birds Leave on Universal Music, with his quartet featuring Marc Copland, Drew Gress and Billy Hart.

More recently Verheyen completed two new commissioned works, one for string quintet and saxophone (partly inspired by a residency at the cultural center Thread in Senegal); and a composition for string trio, piano and saxophone (featuring pianist Marc Copland and the Goeyvaerts String trio) that premièred at the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp where Verheyen has been visiting Artist in Residence since 2017.

In 2019 Verheyen released the album MiXMONK on his Universal contract with the co-op trio with Joey Baron and Bram De Looze which was followed by their second album On The Loose (Curatores/L’autre Distribution) in 2022.

In 2021 he released The Bach Riddles, a quartet reworking of Bach’s Musical Offering (WERF Records). In 2023 his solo soprano saxophone album Playing the Room was released and later this year a recording of the commissioned work for the KMSKA will also be published.

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