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

Robin Verheyen first started lessons on the saxophone at the age of 12, winner of the Django d’Or at the age of 25, member of various bands and head of the Robin Verheyen Int. Quartet, with world-class musicians Bill Carrothers, Nicholas Thys, and Dré Pallemaerts and the Robin Verheyen NY Quartet with top names in the NY scene trumpeter Ralph Alessi, bassist Thomas Morgan, and drummer Jeff Davis.
He has called a variety of cities his home (Turnhout, Amsterdam, Paris, New York). One can definitely say that Robin Verheyen has a focused approach to his career.
Born in Turnhout in 1983, Robin Verheyen first studied for three years in Belgium, then two years in the Netherlands, and one year as an honour student (“dean’s list”) at the Manhattan School of Music with Dave Liebman, Steve Slagle, Frank Vaganée, Jasper Blom, Ferdinand Povel, Dick Oatts, and John Ruocco. He ended his musical study with honours in Amsterdam.
In 2005 Verheyen moved to Paris for a year where he played in bands led by Giovanni Falzone, Remi Vignolo, Nelson Veras, and Bruno Angelini and was a member of the Belgian group Saxkartel (with Kurt Van Herck, Sara Meyer, and Tom Van Dyck).
In Paris he met the Finnish pianist Aki Rissanen with whom he’s been working since in their duo and trio with drummer Markku Ounaskari. They recorded a cd together called ‘Semplice’ that was released in 2009 on Alba Records. In 2013 they released the trio album ‘Aleatoric’ on Eclipse Music.
In 2007 Robin Verheyen moved to New York. There he has played and recorded with the Pascal Niggenkemper Trio, as well as the bands of Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic, Dan Loomis, Charnett Moffett, Jesse Stacken, Michael Bates and more. He also co-leads the band Narcissus with Flin van Hemmen, Clemens van der Feen and Jozef Dumoulin with whom he has released two cd’s for the label W.E.R.F.
In 2008 he recorded the cd ‘Andarta’ on Origin Records with Grammy award winner Roy Hargrove and the Roy Assaf/Eddy Khaimovich Quartet.
In May 2009 the French Jazzmagazine declared him one of the top 12 European saxophone players among big names like Pietro Tonolo, Christoph Lauer, Trygve Seim,… In 2010 he received a commision by the concert hall De Bijloke in Ghent to write a 50-minute chamber music work for them. This work was premiered as part of the Jazz&Sounds Festival in November 2011 and received wide acclaim.
He has played as a sideman with Grammy Award winning artists Roy Hargrove, Maria Schneider, Branford Marsalis, NEA Jazz Master Toots Thielemans and many others like Charnett Moffett, Tom Rainey, Massimo Biolcati, Nelson Veras, Ravi Coltrane, Gerald Cleaver, Tyshawn Sorey, and Will Calhoun.
He was invited on stage several times by jazz legends Branford Marsalis and Ravi Coltrane to join their band during their performances.
While working as CC de Warande artist in residence in his hometown of Turnhout in 2006/2007, he formed his International quartet with top-level musicians. Playing with Verheyen are the American pianist Bill Carrothers , the Belgian drummer Dré Pallemaerts and the Belgian bassist Nicolas Thys. In 2007 the Robin Verheyen Quartet did their first tour and in 2008 they played at the Jazz Middelheim Festival in Antwerp, Belgium as well as at the Paris Jazz Festival and their first CD Painting Space was released on the Belgian label W.E.R.F.
In 2009 there followed Verheyen’s second release, the critically acclaimed ‘Starbound’, on the Munich-based Pirouet label.
The Belgian newspaper De Standaard called Starbound one of the top 10 releases of 2009.
All About Jazz said: ‘It’s Verheyen’s ability to find every creative possibility within a limited framework that puts Starbound over the top, and adds Verheyen to the list of reasons why jazz in the 21st century will be just fine.’ Jazztimes said about Starbound: ‘Twenty-six-year-old Belgian saxophonist Robin Verheyen displays a masterful command of his horns on his auspicious debut as a leader.’ The French magazine Jazzman a couple years ago appropriately prophesised, “You don’t know who Robin Verheyen is? That’s going to change!” In 2012 he released the album ‘Trinity’ with his NY quartet on the label 52 creations. They presented the album at the Jazz Standard in NYC and toured in Europe playing the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Gent Jazz Festival. The current line-up of this group is Russ Johnson on trumpet, Drew Gress on bass and Jeff Davis on drums. In 2013 Robin received a grant by Chamber Music America to write the new work ‘Beyond Illuminiations’ for this band. They will premiere this work in 2014.
Since 2012 Robin has been working with pianist Marc Copland as a duo and in a quartet with Gary Peacock and Joey Baron. They performed together at the 2013 Jazz Middelheim Festival in Antwerp. They are currently planning a series of concerts in 2014.
As a composer Verheyen is currently working on a new commission for the MA Festival in Bruges that will be premiered in August of 2014. This will be a work based on music by 14th-century composer Guillaume de Machaut combined with Robin’s jazz and classical influences. It will feature Robin Verheyen and Russ Johnson as soloists next to a woodwind and a string quartet.

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