The joy of jazz is that there are always new artists to discover. Saxophonist Benjamin Drazen graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in the mid-1990s and returned to his native New York City. He’s played funk, Latin music, r’n’b and lots of jazz. His debut recording “Inner Flights” shows up on the Posi-Tone Records label, quickly becoming the home for good, straight-ahead, jazz. Drazen, joined by pianist Jon Davis, bassist Carlo De Rosa and drummer Eric McPherson, has created a program that blends hard-bop with the searching aspects of John Coltrane’s music. The sound is clean and uncluttered, his alto and soprano sax playing filled with swift, clearly articulated lines with a supporting cast that is solid, creative, and in sync. Pianist Davis, best known for his work with the late Jaco Pastorious as well as the Joris Teepe Band and Beatle Jazz, is a fine player; his solos on pieces like “This Is New” and “Monkish” are fresh and entertaining. His accompaniment on the contemplative “”Prayer for Brothers Gone” and sweetly turned “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” is welcome and free of cliche. Drazen is playful on “Jazz Heaven“, filled with twists, bent notes and rapid-fire phrases. He shows his fiery side after moving to soprano on the Coltrane-inspired title track (also featuring excellent support from McPherson and hardy bass work from De Rosa.)
One gets the feeling Benjamin Drazen waited some time before stepping out on his own, building a solid repertoire and working on his mechanics. It’s been worth the wait for this music has well-shaped melodic and harmonic ideas without feeling forced or immature. “Inner Flights” is a promising beginning to Drazen’s solo career as a leader; let’s hope for many more flights. For more information, go towww.benjamindrazen.com or go to www.posi-tone.com.
Take a sonic ride to “Jazz Heaven” courtesy of Posi-Tone Records and IODA Promonet;
Jazz Heaven (mp3)
Tag: Benjamin Drazen
Dan Bilawsky’s AAJ review for Benjamin Drazen “Inner Flights”….
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=38860
The peaceful, John Lennon-like face on the cover of Inner Flights is merely a mask. Behind that calm exterior is a musician with killer instincts and serious chops. Sure, saxophonist Benjamin Drazen can be calm and graceful when he wants to, as he is on Inner Flights‘ closing track, “Polka Dots And Moonbeams,” but more often than not, Drazen takes to the skies in spectacularly soaring flights.
On his debut album, Drazen dives head first into music of a mystical nature (“Prayer For Brothers Gone”), songs built on shifting terra firma (“Jazz Heaven”), original music created in the image of the great Thelonious Monk(“Monkish”) and standards, both rare (Ira Gershwin‘s “This Is New”) and commonplace (“Polka Dots And Moonbeams”). In creating this diverse program of music, Drazen also presents different pictures of himself as a soloist: in one instance, ripping through some burning, angular lines with a take-no-prisoners attitude (“Mr. Twilight”); in another, going through a spiritual catharsis over a loosely knit backdrop of arco bass, cymbal swells and pianistic waves (“Prayer For Brothers Gone”). While alto saxophone seems to be Drazen’s main axe, he demonstrates great skill and potential, along with a Dave Liebman-like zeal, when he wields his soprano on the title track.
Pianist Jon Davis often shares the solo duties with Drazen, but some of the best moments come when they give drummer Eric McPherson some face time. “Monkish,” which begins with a piano solo that’s more caricature than homage, features some fine solo exchanges between Drazen, Davis and McPherson; the pianist going, perhaps, one step too far in his introduction, but more than redeeming himself during a solo spot which includes a brief “Bemsha Swing” quote. McPherson and bassist Carlo De Rosa masterfully steer the band through “Jazz Heaven,” which is built on a continually shifting form, from straight swing to Latin, with a brief odd-metered detour in the middle. Eventually, De Rosa and Davis create a vamping presence in the Latin section, allowing McPherson free reign.
While Drazen proves his worth in a variety of settings early on, the final pair of songs fill in two of the most important missing pieces. The penultimate performance gives Drazen a chance to show that he can do the searching, ’70s saxophone thing (“Kickin’ Up Dirt”) as well as the next guy, while the closing “Polka Dots And Moonbeams” proves that Drazen can excel in a standard ballad setting. With Inner Flights, Benjamin Drazen has created a complete and lasting work of meaning that’s an early contender for best debut album of 2011.
John Barron’s review of Benjamin Drazen “Inner Flights”….
Featured Artist: Benjamin Drazen
CD Title: Inner Flights
Year: 2011
Record Label: Posi-Tone
Style: Straight-Ahead / Classic
Musicians: Benjamin Drazen (alto & soprano saxophones), Jon Davis (piano), Carlo De Rosa (bass), Eric McPherson (drums)
Review: New York saxophonist Benjamin Drazen doesn’t waste any time letting a listener know what his musical intent is all about. From the opening moments of Inner Flights, his debut release as a leader, the fiery alto and soprano saxophonist swings unrepentantly with blistering lines and a bold, Jackie McLean-inspired sounds. Along with a high-energy rhythm section, Drazen delivers a sturdy set of his straight-ahead originals and a couple of standards.At ease with fast tempos, Drazen careens effortlessly through the opening “Mr. Twilight” and “This is New.” The disc has a more reflective side, however, with the brooding “Prayer for Brothers Gone” and “Neeney’s Waltz,” showcasing the saxophonist’s ability to shape ideas while still emphasizing bebop ornamentation. The Coltrane-leaning title track has a muscular, modal groove with Drazen going for broke on the soprano and pianist Jon Davis lending heavy-handed comping.
Davis proves an inventive soloist with a firm grasp of jazz piano history, as evidenced on “Monkish.” Bassist Carlo De Rosa and drummer Eric McPherson keep things crisp and lively throughout. The two are let loose to explore on the mood shifting “Jazz Heaven.”
As a composer and soloist, Drazen has a lot to offer. Inner Flights is an enticing look into his unique creativity.
Record Label Website: https://www.posi-tone.com
Artist’s Website: http://www.benjamindrazen.com
Reviewed by: John Vincent Barron
Here’s the first review for our latest release “Inner Flights” by saxophonist Benjamin Drazen…
| Benjamin Drazen – Inner Flights |
| Saxophonist Benjamin Drazen is proud to announce the release of Inner Flights, his first recording as a leader on Posi-Tone Records. The quartet features Drazen on alto and soprano saxophones, Jon Davis on piano, Carlo De Rosa on bass, and Eric McPherson on drums.Drazen who is a native of New York, studied at the prestigious New England Conservatory and returned to NYC in 1995. In more recent years he has been playing around New York City with the likes of Rashied Ali, George Garzone, Gene Jackson, Steve Tyrell, Ron McClure, Lew Soloff, Santi Debriano, Marvin “Bugalu” Smith, and Ron Affif.
The opening cut on Inner Flights quickly reveals Benjamin Drazen to be a fine alto saxophonist with a sound and sense of time many will envy. His self-proclaimed cluster of influences include a predictable lot – that of Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. Although one can hear shades of each of these players coming out of Benjamin Drazen’s saxophone, Drazen is his own player. The up-tempo Mr. Twilight and more jovial Monkish squarely establish the rhythm section’s ability to swing behind Drazen’s definitive alto sound. The third cut entitled Prayer for Brothers Gone seems a conglomeration of influences – whether by coincidence or design. The influence of Trane on Drazen’s sound and approach is obvious, however the alto is sweet and the vibrato fast at times, almost classical in nature. Here Drazen sounds like no singular saxophonist except himself. Jazz Heaven reveals a grittier side of Benjamin Drazen’s saxophone sound. His occasional growling is followed by Jon Davis’ energetic piano solo. The energy is carried over into the title track’s opening statement. Inner Flight showcases De Rosa’s percolating bass line along with McPherson’s cymbal work behind Drazen on soprano. It is easy to make comparisons to other great soprano saxophonists such as Dave Liebman – I trust this is not a comparison to which Drazen objects. The sweet sound of Drazen’s alto is never more evident than in the tender introduction of Neeney’s Waltz. It is clear he has studied the saxophone seriously, yet his jazz playing maintains a flexible sense of pitch, time and tone color, which never sounds rigid. His use of bend and portamento is particularly apparent on the final standard Polkadots and Moonbeams. This Is New and Kickin’ Up Dirt round out the selections for Benjamin Drazen’s inaugural cd as a leader on Posi-tone records. Jazz saxophone lovers looking for something traditional and new at the same time will likely enjoy checking out Benjamin Drazen live in New York or here on Inner Flight. Inner Flights will be available on Cd as of March 1, 2011. You can find out more about Benjamin Drazen at benjamindrazen.com |