Reuter, Travis - Rotational Templates

SKU NF 402
Everyone here remembers Danny Sher, right? Right? Sigh. Anyway, at the very beginning of 2011, Danny contacted me about carrying his self-released first album, which was a fantastic, complex electric jazz release, all by terrific musicians I had never heard of. The guitarist was Travis Reuter and here is Travis with his own debut. Featured on this disc in addition to Travis are Jeremy Viner-tenor sax, Bobby Avey-Fender Rhodes, Chris Tordini-bass and Jason Nazary-drums. This is modern electric jazz at its finest, reminiscent of some of Ben Monder's work as a leader but with a more electric/progressive edge and also more of a 'rehearsal intensive avant-progressive' flair; think of electric jazz as filtered through the complexity of Blast and you have an idea of what this is about. Interesting meters and modes and inspired soloing zip by and the playing is unbelivably first rate. If intricate, really, really tricky electric jazz/rock sounds like your kind of thing, this comes HIGHLY recommended.

"New Focus Recordings announces the release of Rotational Templates, the debut recording from New York City based guitarist and composer Travis Reuter. The music on Rotational Templates, though written for jazz quintet, is inspired by contemporary classical music and draws heavily on influences from the music of composers Elliott Carter, Brian Ferneyhough, and Jason Eckardt. Reuter’s compositions focus on abstract forms, complex rhythmic structures, timbre, and polytonality, while continuing to explore the improviser’s role in a traditional setting. Each composition experiments with combinations of form, counterpoint, and non-repetitive devices for improvisation. And yet this music definitely does not sound academic – quite the contrary, it pulses with an aggressive urban energy that has become somewhat of a sonic badge for this emerging generation of young experimental jazz musicians. Underlying this approach is an implicit skepticism of the aesthetics of the mainstream jazz establishment and a deep hunger to integrate elements from other forward-looking genres. Reuter’s guitar style itself is indicative of this voracity: his sound, use of effects pedals, and angular melodic patterns associate him with such experimental jazz guitarists as John Abercrombie, Allan Holdsworth, and Ben Monder, all of whom similarly looked outside of the Wes Montgomery/Joe Pass tradition for guidance. Reuter’s integration of the motivic and rhythmic language of the classical modernists sets him apart from other young modern jazz guitarists who have developed their approaches in this lineage, and this material drawn from outside of the jazz tradition acts as the glue that holds this recording together conceptually. The power of the quintet's performances hold the recording together viscerally; indeed, their taut ensemble approach is akin to a contemporary chamber group tackling a relentless, thorny score."



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  • LabelNew Focus
Your Price $9.00
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