Marc Copland Drew Gress Victor Lewis
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MARC COPLAND DREW GRESS VICTOR LEWIS Three master improvisers, who are also accomplished composers, with a deep knowledge of the compositional elements of form, harmony, melody, and rhythm. Each with his own unique personality and sound. Three players who know how to blend their skills to bring the interplay in a trio to its highest level, making the trio sound like much more than the sum of its three parts. MARC COPLAND is known as perhaps today's foremost exponent of the school of lyrical jazz piano. His style, noted for its harmonic innovation and sense of touch, remains accessible to the listener. Perhaps the most prolific pianist of the millenium, Copland has recorded over 25 cds as a leader during the past decade. As a young saxophonist, Copland played alongside John Abercrombie in Chico Hamilton's band. He experimented with the electric alto but gradually became dissatisfied with the direction his music was taking and, leaving New York, quit playing the sax in order to study piano. He returned to the NY jazz world in the mid-80s, his own vividly original style firmly in place. As a sideman he played with Bob Belden, Jane Ira Bloom, Joe Lovano, Tim Hagans, and James Moody, Wallace Roney. But his career as a sideman in the Apple was relatively short-lived; Copland began recording and touring in trio with Gary Peacock and Billy Hart (At Night/Sunnyside, Paradiso/Soul Note) In the nineties, his reputation spread owing to three legendary recordings with the Savoy label, which put him on the road in an All-Star quintet (Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, and Dennis Chambers), and later in a quartet with Abercrombie, Drew Gress, and drummer Hart. His recordings since 2000 with several European labels brought him to a wider audience. In 2004 he began working exclusively with Pirouet records, making the acclaimed “New York Trio Series,” which has helped solidify his position as an innovator on his instrument. Copland has enthralled audiences not only in trio and as a solo pianist; his skills as an accompanist make him a sought-after duo partner, as attested by his recordings with David Liebman, Greg Osby, Gary Peacock, and pianist Bill Carrothers. He participates in two co-operative groups: the quartet “Crosstalk,” with Greg Osby, Drew Gress, and Victor Lewis; and the quintet “Contact,” with John Abercrombie, David Liebman, Drew Gress, and Billy Hart. Bassist/composer DREW GRESS is noted for his complete command of the bass, from top to bottom, both as soloist and when providing a band's foundation. He performs with artists on the cutting edge of contemporary improvised music —including 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). A noted composer, Drew has led his own bands for some time. His latest project-- The Irrational Numbers (Premonition), follows on the heels of the critically- acclaimed 7 Black Butterflies (2005), Spin & Drift (2001), and Heyday. Drew has toured worldwide and has served as Artist-in-Residence at St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and Chamber Music America. A proper summary of the career of drummer and composer VICTOR LEWIS would read like a history of jazz for the last thirty-five years. His talents have contributed to the recordings and bands of countless jazz greats. Perhaps unique to his generation, Lewis — like Copland and Osby, a bandleader in his own right—is a percussionist who moves effortlessy between the worlds of “straight-ahead” jazz and the more popular genres of the music that first became popular in the '70s and '80s. "Victor Lewis is a master of shading and color, and the kind of timekeeper that could teach a clock new ways to tick" says jazz writer Bill Kohlhasse. But he did not begin by playing the drums! Born and raised in the heartland of the USA -- Omaha, Nebraska --- Lewis began playing cello at the age of five and piano at the age of seven. He eventually switched to drums when he was eleven and began playing professionally a few years later. He studied classical percussion at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and then in 1974 moved to New York City with little more than one suitcase and his drum set. In just a few weeks he was everywhere and was soon tapped for the quintet of master trumpeter Woody Shaw, with whom he made his recording debut. Word spread as he continued to work with Woody and also with Carla Bley, Joe Farrell, Hubert Laws, and Buster Williams, among others. Crossover musicians took a liking to him as well and he worked and recorded with Earl Klugh, Grover Washington Jr., Jaco Pastorius and David Sanborn --- who, like Shaw, featured some of Victor's compositions on his recordings. Following a tour with the legendary tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, Victor worked in the band of another tenor legend, Stan Getz, with whom he remained until the saxophonist's untimely death in 1991. By this time Lewis had firmly established himself as one of a handful of in-demand New York based drummers, working with musicians such as Kenny Barron, Gary Bartz, Marc Copland, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin, Eddie Henderson, Pharoah Sanders, Bobby Hutcherson, J.J. Johnson, David Murray, Mike Stern and Bobby Watson. With Watson he formed the band "Horizon" which has continued to tour and record into the new century. He performs and records with his own band as well---including albums for the labels Enja, AudioQuest and Red. Victor is also a Professor at Rutgers University where he has been teaching drums since 2003. Featured in profiles in magazines such as Downbeat, Jazz Times and Modern Drummer, Victor, who is equally known as a composer, continues to play and record worldwide. About Marc Copland About Drew Gress About Victor Lewis “The piano whisperer.” --Jazz 'n "Gress not only has one of the “His interactive speed seems More (Switzerland) most resoundingly deep tones telepathic.“ and consummate feels of any ---New York Times “You will be blown away.” --Bass upright bassist currently playing musician magazine (USA) modern jazz (which explains why “Lewis is all one could ask for in he's in such demand), he is also a drummer.” "Jazz the way it was meant to one of the more accomplished ---Washington Post be...makes one realize how composers on the scene.” ordinary, how formulaic, so much -Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times A singularly personal voice...His of the rest of today's music has playing is a perfect companion become” --Boston Globe (USA) "Relentlessly creative." for refined touch.”” - New York Times ---Allaboutjazz.com “When Marc Copland plays, your hair lifts off of your arms!!” "As open-minded as he is “His insights have provided --cabaretexchange.com virtuosic...."-NPR inspiration to peers and followers for decades.” “His personal language is like no "A certified virtuoso." -The ---Time Out New York Vicother.” ---blogdeChoc Georgia Straight (France) “Wake up you guys! Victor "...the new high-speed Lewis is one of the finest.” “Even after living with this music motorboat of contrebasse."-Le --Jazz Beyond Jazz for a few weeks, it still gives me Monde shivers.” “Victor Lewis is simply tought to ---somethingelsereviews.com "Incomparable." -UK Jazz Mann beat. He's had it all for a long (USA) time.” ---Notes and Tones "Music as witty, well-crafted, and "The most exciting and versatile passionate as Gress' is all too “Victor Lewis reminds listeners contemporary jazz pianist.” rare and should be a cause for that there is more to playng --JazzZeit (Austria) celebration....." -Ed Hazell, drums than keeping a steady Jazziz Magazine beat. He is astounding, always “The king of harmony.” --Tribuna exhibits the ultimate in tasteful da Imprensa (Brazil) "Agressively timekeeping, transcending mere innovative.....beautiful" -Time metronomic precision and “Jazz at it's absolute finest.” Out/Chicago continuously adding rhythm and ---jazzreview.com (USA) tonal colors to his musical "Chevelle has jazz calssic pallette.” “(Copland) has revived the piano written all over it." -Boston ---Lincoln Journal trio, and with Night Whispers Herald created another masterpiece.” “A rare breed. His brush work is ---Jazz Podium (Germany) " ferocious, beautiful, surrealistic simply magnificent.” and haunting." ---Albany Times Union -All About Jazz "The best new recording of the year."-Donald Elfman.