Umbra by Matt Otto

Matt Otto

Umbra

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Origin Records
UPC: 0805558287725
Catnr: ORIGIN 82877
Release date: 14 June 2024
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Label
Origin Records

UPC
0805558287725

Catalogue number
ORIGIN 82877

Release date
14 June 2024

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

About the album

From New York to Los Angeles and Kansas City, saxophonist Matt Otto always cultivated an inspired musical community with which to surround himself. Now having 14 years of performances with the energized and spontaneous KC duo of bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer John Kizilarmut, the vibrancy of their interactions is a given, and apparent, as the trio provides the momentum for this set of nine Otto originals. On several tracks, Matt Villinger's Fender Rhodes provides astute chordal realizations of Otto's harmonies, while guitarist Alex Frank adds an edge of free, '70s-era fusion energy. Also featured is the Paris-based trumpeter Hermon Mehari, who returns to his Kansas City roots occasionally and was in town to add his sparkling voice to three pieces. Embracing harmonic openness and guided by their shared sense of direction and play, Otto and his ensemble create a captivating musical emprise within Umbra.

Von New York über Los Angeles bis hin zu Kansas City hat der Saxophonist Matt Otto stets eine inspirierte musikalische Gemeinschaft um sich geschart. Nach nunmehr 14 Jahren Zusammenarbeit mit dem energiegeladenen und spontanen KC-Duo aus Bassist Jeff Harshbarger und Schlagzeuger John Kizilarmut ist die Lebendigkeit ihres Zusammenspiels eine Selbstverständlichkeit und offensichtlich, da das Trio den Schwung für dieses Set aus neun Otto-Originalen liefert. Bei mehreren Stücken sorgt Matt Villingers Fender Rhodes für eine kluge akkordische Umsetzung von Ottos Harmonien, während der Gitarrist Alex Frank einen Hauch von freier Fusion-Energie aus den 70er Jahren beisteuert. Ebenfalls mit dabei ist der in Paris lebende Trompeter Hermon Mehari, der gelegentlich zu seinen Wurzeln in Kansas City zurückkehrt und in der Stadt war, um drei Stücke mit seiner funkelnden Stimme zu untermalen. Mit ihrer harmonischen Offenheit und ihrem gemeinsamen Sinn für Richtung und Spiel schaffen Otto und sein Ensemble in Umbra ein fesselndes musikalisches Erlebnis.

Artist(s)

Matt Otto (tenor saxophone)

Matt Otto is currently the Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at Kansas University (KU) teaching Jazz Theory and Performance, Jazz Combo 1 and private lessons. Matt was also an Adjunct Professor at the Rutgers New Brunswick teaching online courses in jazz improvisation, theory and performance.
Matt Otto pursued his education in music performance and composition at Indiana University, Berklee School of Music, New School Jazz (BFA) and California Institute of the Arts (MFA) during which time he studied under Lee Konitz, George Garzone, Billy Pierce, Charlie Haden, Don Hawkins and many others. Having lived in Japan for six years, New York City for seven years and Los Angeles for six years, he has performed with a variety of artists including Anthony Wilson, Larry Koonse, Rashid Bakr, Ben Monder, Willie Jones III, Alan Ferber, Mark Ferber, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Gregory Hutchinson, Jonathan Kreisberg, Joe La Barbera, Leroy Vinegar, Bob Bowman, Jimmy Smith (drums), Paul Jackson, Ari Hoenig, Ben Street, Mike Moreno, Sara Gazarek, Josh Nelson, Peter Schlamb, Danny Weiss, Roger Wilder, William Parker, Matt Wilson, Steve Cardenas, Bobby Watson, Bob Weir, Deborah Brown, Larry Goldings, Eric Harland, Sheryl Bailey, Darek Oles, Erik McPherson, John Stowell, Danny Embrey, Alan Pasqua, and many others.
While in Los Angeles, Matt co-founded of the Los Angeles Jazz Collective (lajazzcollective.org). The mission of the collective (LAJC) is to help create opportunities for creative jazz composers and performers to showcase original artistic work and to set up an ongoing Jazz outreach program for young jazz musicians in and around Los Angeles.
Matt currently performs his original compositions and jazz standards with his Kansas City based quartet as well as traveling several times per year to NYC and LA for performances and recordings.
Matt has recorded and performed with the Grammy nominated Anthony Wilson Nonet (The Power of Nine, Groove Note 1035, 2006), The Rashid Bakr Quintet, has performed in Los Angeles with the Grammy Nominated Alan Ferber Big Band as well as having recorded on over 50 CDs as both a leader and a side man.

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