Tag: Dedicated

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Ralph Bowen – Dedicated – Posi-Tone

Dedicated to his mentors.

Published on July 27, 2009

Ralph Bowen – Dedicated – Posi-Tone PR8052, 42:24 ***1/2:
(Ralph Bowen, tenor sax; Sean Jones, trumpet; Adam Rogers, electric guitar; John Patitucci, bass; Antonio Sanchez, drum

Canadian Ralph Bowen was a member of Out of the Blue, a group of “young lions” put together by Blue Note Records in the mid to late 1980s to showcase the new generation of young talent. Playing primarily hard bop, the staple of Blue Note’s success, Out of the Blue produced four albums before breaking up. Members Kenny Garrett and drummer Ralph Peterson, have gone on to find the greatest success, but tenor saxist, Ralph Bowen, has done quite well for himself as well, recording four Criss Cross CDs, before moving on to the new Posi-Tone label.
For his Posi-tone debut, Bowen decided to make a CD dedicated to musical influences. All six compositions are self-penned, and each is dedicated to a different artist. Bowen has moved beyond the usual dedications to jazz titans like Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis. Bowen has chosen less well known musicians such as saxophonist Pat La Barbera and Eugene Rousseau.

Bowen’s group is a piano-less quintet and uses the services of upcoming trumpet star, Sean Jones, as well as guitarist Adam Rogers, and the renowned bassist John Patitucci. Canary Drums opens the CD and is for Keith Blackley. Bowen has a mid-register pleasing tone, and the band provides solid backing for his playing. Pat, written for the aforementioned LaBarbera follows and is a winning ballad which provides Rogers with a soft spoken guitar solo, before Bowen explores the outer reaches of his tenor. Qaiyam has a similar flavor, anchored by Adam Rogers with some effective drum accents by Sanchez. Mr. Bebop dedicated to David Baker, is effective for its ensemble playing and has the closest sounding feel to Blue Note’s Out of the Blue. Prof, which I surmise is written for one of Bowen’s teacher’s William Fielder, is a vehicle for Bowen to show his tenor prowess. Dedicated is closed out with ER (for Eugene Rousseau) – a totally unaccompanied four-minute Bowen solo. It’s a nice finish to Bowen’s debut for Posi-Tone, a new label made up of upcoming stars. We reviewed one of their early issues by One for All’s trumpet star, Jim Rotondi, recently. The addition of Bowen to their roster is a smart move.

TrackList: Canary Drums, Pat, Qaiyam, Mr. Bebop, Prof, E.R.
– Jeff Krow

www.bass-musician-magazine.com

by Damien Erskine

Ralph Bowen
“Dedicated”
www.ralphbowen.com

This new release from Ralph Bowen is a real gift. Featuring Adam Rogers (gtr), John Patitucci (bs), Antonio Sanchez (drms) and Sean Jones (trmpt) this recording is a real swinging tour-de-force. Aside from the fact that these are some of my favorite players, both Ralph’s playing and compositional skills really shine here. His playing is truly virtuosic and the writing is supremely interesting, swinging and never “heady”.

Ralph is every bit the monster that his counterparts here are… With beautiful tone, endlessly creative and interesting solos and an ear for melody that I long for. With so many of the jazz releases these days seeming a bit typical or predictable, there is something that these guys bring to the table here that is refreshing yet familiar. Without a track by track play-by-play, I can assure you that this is some of the most compelling and inventive music I’ve heard in some time. These guys are bringing it in a big way! This is one of the few CDs I come across that didn’t just make it into my home computer’s iTunes library, it now also resides in my mp3 player and will for some time!

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Many new releases seem to follow one stringent formula or another—whether to deliver cookie-cutter music to the masses, in hopes of getting noticed by commercial radio, or to adopt a certain trend, be it the traditional piano-led trio or covering standards. With that in mind, it’s rarely, if ever, a bad thing when an artist or group just plays. That’s the approached used by saxophonist Ralph Bowen for Dedicated.

Bowen was co-leader of the sextet, OTB—Out of the Blue—a sextet based in New York. During that time, he associated with Kenny Garrett, Steve Wilson, Rene Rosnes and others. A performer in clubs, concert halls and at festivals, Bowen is joined on this date by guitarist Adam Rogers, bassistJohn Patitucci and drummer Antonio Sanchez.

“Canary Drums” features Bowen’s sunny lead, subtly aided by the rhythm section. Rogers, Patitucci and Sanchez are in a groove, expressing themselves both as a unit and individually. Meanwhile, the tenor explores upper and lower reaches of its range, at times at a fiery pace, with Rogers also contributing a solo.

Trumpeter Sean Jones joins the ensemble for “Mr. Bebop,” playing the melody in unison with Bowen. Bowen then takes off on a solo, at times punching into high squeaks, elsewhere shifting to low-end, high-speed riffs. Jones follows with a spirited solo of his own, as does Rogers. After a repeat of the melody, Bowen and Jones split into freestyle play as the song slowly winds down.

Pattitucci starts “Prof. 9:23,” setting up a duet between Bowen and Rogers. During his solo, Bowen puts the tenor through a series of high-speed rolls, powerfully emotive throughout. Rogers, however, tones it down a little during his solo; still expressive, but mellower than Bowen. The tenorist returns at a slower pace but with more power, followed by a guitar solo even subtler than the previous one; accompanied only by bass and drums, it’s an effective way to bring the song to a close.

Though Bowen is out front most of the way during Dedicated, the music never loses its group sense. Patitucci and Sanchez don’t offer any solos, but their accompaniment is top notch. All six songs were written by Bowen and are dedicated to his mentors, including Keith Blackley, David Baker and William Fielder.

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Ralph Bowen, Dedicated (Posi-Tone)
Tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen recorded this forceful CD of original material as a musical thank you to six mentors who played key roles in his musical and career development. The Canadian first emerged on the New York scene in the 1980s as co-leader of Blue Note Records’ sextet Out of the Blue. This new CD teams him with guitarist Adam Rogers, bassist John Patitucci, drummer Antonio Sanchez and trumpeter Sean Jones, who guests on one track.

www.ejazznews.com

An educator by profession who holds a position at Rutgers University, Canadian-born saxophonist Ralph Bowen is the latest Posi-Tone Records project producing a hard-driving dose of modern/mainstream jazz with his newest vibrant CD “Dedicated.” Bowen claims influences from many saxophone greats like Bob Mintzer, Pat LaBarbera and the legendary Stan Getz with which Bowen earns comparisons on to such tunes as “Canary Drums” and “Mr. Bebop.” Though only a handful of tunes grace this recording coming in at under 45 minutes, the all original selection delivers a “harmonic message with stunning lyricism” dedicated to several of his mentors(Pat LaBarbera, David Baker, Keith Blackley and Jim Blackley, William Fielder and Eugene Rousseau).

Bowen enlists the help of several top flight musicians who, with their play, provide the sparks that Bowen counts on to move the music forward. He builds a powerful rhythm section led by guitarist Adam Rogers, it also includes the renowned bassist John Patitucci and drummer Antonio Sanchez pounding the cowhide. Of special note is the inclusion of trumpeter Sean Jones who ha s just released a masterful recording of his own (“The Search Within”).

There’s plenty of musical energy on “Dedicated” supplied not only by Ralph Bowen’s own muscular tenor phrasings, but glowing from sparkling solos from the various members of the band—that all together combine in providing one shining performance marking this album a serious contender not a pretender.

Year: 2009
Label: Posi-Tone Records
Artist Web: www.ralphbowen.com

www.allaboutjazz.com

Back in the 1980s, tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen was a member of a young and thoroughly hip progressive jazz ensemble known as OTB—Out Of The Blue. Since then, he’s been an in-demand session artist. With Dedicated, he garners superb support from a top-flight ensemble, but it’s Bowen’s dynamic presence and big sound that fully reveal his colossal talents.
Bowen packs a mighty wallop, steeped within his full-bodied tone and muscular phraseology, all spiced with lyrically resplendent theme-building persuasions. Here, the artist merges mainstream jazz with a modern slant via force and relentless energy. These attributes radiate on “Qaiyam,” where his yearning lines are punctuated by the rhythm section’s staggered pulse, colorific accents and guitarist Adam Rogers’ dark-toned solo.

The band effortlessly whirls through brisk bop motifs amid resonating dialogues, evidenced by trumpeter Sean Jones’ spry choruses and feisty exchanges with the leader during “Mr. Bebop.” The band exhibits creativity and enthusiasm to complement the soloists’ crafty improvisational passages.

Bowen combines nuance with penetrating harmonic frameworks throughout this thrilling, rapidly-paced outing. And while the album clocks in at a little over LP length, Bowen opts for quality vs. quantity, using smart compositions and the ensemble’s synergistic interaction to achieve that goal.

Track listing: Canary Drums; Pat; Qaiyam; Mr. Bebop; Prof; E.R.

Personnel: Ralph Bowen: tenor saxophone; Sean Jones: trumpet; Adam Rogers: guitar; John Patitucci: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums.

www.allaboutjazz.com

Tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen’s Dedicated is a project that was nurtured and produced by Posi-tone Records‘ founder Marc Free, who felt that Bowen was under-appreciated by the jazz public at large. Bowen has influenced hundreds of players through his teaching position at Rutgers, and many top jazz players know how skilled he is. Having heard him live several times, Free has long admired Bowen’s sound and technical ability on his horn, and wanted people to really hear how good he was.

This goal was accomplished by starting with the concept of basing the supporting ensemble around guitar, since Bowen’s previous recordings were often accompanied by organ or piano. Free and Bowen discussed several names before agreeing that Adam Rogers would be a good choice, due in part to the excellent working relationship Bowen already had with Free, the musical trust they shared, and Rogers’ ability to mix subtlety and intuition into an ensemble. The logical next step was to bring in John Patitucci (bass) and Antonio Sanchez(drums), since they had already played together with Rogers hundreds of times, both with Rogers as leader, and in other groups such as Chris Potter Underground.

The musicians rehearsed together for 2 weeks in the making of this recording, and it was mixed for another 2 weeks, which is rare in the world of all-star jazz recordings.

The well-matched timbre of the group’s sound reveals that the time and care put into this project paid off. Bowen has a mastery of his instrument not unlike Michael Brecker, cites John Coltrane as his main influence, but plays with more nuance and reserve than either. He travels through the music and chooses to become part of the fiber of the group-sound, except on “E.R.,” which is a solo piece that let’s him weave his own song, from long drawn out tones to 32nd-note runs, syncopated triplets and reflection.

That’s why the choice of sidemen on this recording is so important. The slightly reserved modern cool that each player is able to bring to the studio matches up with Bowen’s playing style, and Posi-Tone’s Free as producer and engineer Nick O’Toole serve as kind of sixth and seventh men on this project.

Sanchez, for example, has demonstrated in his career with the Pat Metheny Group and on his solo work as well that he can play with subtlety, and make it exciting at the same time. It’s not Elvin Jones-type crash and bang drumming; Sanchez often uses a light touch and many soft to medium cymbal strokes to bring out a more reflective artistic sound, but he enhances his playing by finding varied ways to communicate.

Rogers’ tone on guitar is also something that blends into the collective sound. His reserved style is modern, and full of potential sparks, leaving listeners keen to hear where he will go next. But he supports the songs, and is able to soar into several important solos that would only work if they were on par with Bowen’s tenor sax riffs, and they very much are.

John Patitucci is able fully to support the band by playing with a style that could be described as dark, full and round. He’s like a prominent tree trunk that allows the rest of the players to branch out and ascend.

Sean Jones adds trumpet to the mix on “Mr. Bebop,” playing counterpoint through the head, and taking off on a solo midway through, introducing a new sound to the ensemble at just the right time.

Dedicated consists of just six songs with a total recorded time of 42 minutes, a throwback to the days of Blue Note discs that tended to run short, but made up for it with quality. Each tune is dedicated to one of Bowen’s mentors (Keith Blackley, Pat LaBarbera, Jim Blackley, David Baker, William Fielder, and Eugene Rousseau).

“The recent passing of a close friend and mentor left me with the distinct awareness of my personal need to acknowledge several of my contemporaries for their support and influence on my own musical development. Dedicated is a musical message of gratitude to my mentors for their time, patience, wisdom, knowledge and friendship.” (Ralph Bowen)

“One way or another we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life and dedicate ourselves to that.” (Joseph Campbell)
Tracks: Canary Drums; Pat; Qaiyam; Mr. Bebop; Prof.; E.R.

Personnel: Ralph Bowen: tenor saxophone; Sean Jones: trumpet; Adam Rogers: guitar; John Patitucci: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums.

http://www.jazz.com/music/2009/6/21/ralph-bowen-canary-drums

RALPH BOWEN: CANARY DRUMS

TRACK

Canary Drums

ARTIST

Ralph Bowen (tenor sax)

CD

Dedicated (Positone 8052)

Buy Track

Musicians:

Ralph Bowen (tenor sax), Adam Rogers (guitar), John Patitucci(bass), Antonio Sanchez (drums).

Composed by Ralph Bowen

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Recorded: Brooklyn, NY, October 19, 2008

 

RATING: 94/100 (learn more)

Ralph Bowen’s distinguished resum� includes extended work with Horace Silver, Michel Camilo and the group Out of the Blue. He has a beautifully manicured sound that pours out of his tenor in cascades of tonal beauty. His playing has exceptional fluidity without the slightest degradation of tone. It is filled with inventiveness and free from clich�. As an educator at Rutgers University, where he is a respected associate professor of jazz saxophone and director of the jazz ensemble, he undoubtedly inspires his students with his acumen.

On his CD Dedicated, a compilation of Bowen compositions dedicated to some of his mentors, he has assembled a group of master musicians. Their presence on this effort validates Bowen�s unheralded talents both as a composer and as an artist of exceptional taste.

�Canary Drums� is dedicated to the late Canadian drummer Keith Blackley. Bowen has composed a vibrant and harmonically dense piece of music, the complexity of which is masked by his deceptively laid back delivery. His ability to play sequential streams of sound in a flawless succession appears boundless. Rodgers is equally stealth-like in his understated multi-layered solo. Patitucci and Sanchez are so in tune to each other�s movements that you can feel them dance to the rhythm they create behind Bowen and Rodgers. A careful listen to Bowen�s command of tone and breath on his whispered, fluttering ending is worth the price of admission. With this tasty piece of post-bop music, Ralph Bowen commands wider recognition.

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