#gregg august

[joeinct]

Ole Akahoshi & Gregg August, New Canaan, CT, 3 24 24, Photo by Joe Bruha, Copyright 2024

[nofatclips]

Eyes (sleep it all away) by King 810 from the album Memoirs of a Murderer - Director: John “Quig” Quigley

[nxtgencats]

Jerome Jennings Group

The Beast

Stacy Dillard – saxophone Kali Rodriguez – trumpet Jeffery Miller – trombone Tadataka Unno – piano Gregg August – bass Jerome Jennings – drums

[dustedmagazine]

JD Allen – Radio Flyer (Savant)

Tenorist JD Allen has hewn close to a consistent template for much of his reliably expanding. Quartets and trios embody the bulk of his recorded work as a leader pulling from a small stable of sidemen as an ancillary norm. Radio Flyer has familiar faces, but it also deviates from script in two important respects. Guitarist Liberty Ellman joins the action and aligns immediately with Allen’s ambiguous, but intriguing directive to bring the “sci-fi”. Edifying tenures with Henry Threadgill, Wadada Leo Smith and Butch Morris alongside a modest, but growing catalog at the helm equipped Ellman to play in practically any context. He brings the same versatility and attentiveness to Allen’s compositions, dialing into a groove or cranking the figurative knob liberally in the other direction as setting and strategy dictate. The other deviation from earlier outings arrives with Allen’s decision to relax performance lengths in the service of expanded exploration.

Allen’s ample erudition into North Americana is once again present in his composition titles. “Sitting Bull” elliptically references the revered Native American doyen with progression that slips in and out of strict time and meter. Allen blows somber and ruminative over a controlled tumble rhythm as Ellman traces shimmering outlines around the edges. An ensuing groove forms naturally and without contrivance. Bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston both create and ride the tide, shaping a loose and porous cocoon of support that enhances their colleagues variations without diverting undue attention or resulting in constriction. The title piece and “Ghost Dance” reference other threads in the continent’s cultural patchwork. On each, Allen’s soulful and vigorous phrasing invokes and subtly provokes, limning contours and crevices that subvert temporal specificity which retaining a melodic integrity and depth.

“Heureux” from the French for happy and “The Angelus Bell” hint at other of Allen’s extra-musical affections. The first sprints along on a choppy Royston-stoked beat with the composer engaging his rhythmic angels and Ellman adding staggered phosphorescent commentary from his corner prior to pick-eroding, high speed solo. The second piece is nearly as incident-packed with Royston again adopting a forceful presence on his kit and Allen worrying a phrase with unfettered restlessness. Ellman steers from closely-calibrated atmospherics to sharper-edged picking in the second half with bass and drums contrasting his constructions through a constantly swirling backdrop. August steps up on the ballad “Sancho Panza”, building a solo of breadth and resonance atop Royston’s ubiquitous brushes while the drummer gets some on the explosive closing minute of “Daedalus”. Ever the easygoing egalitarian, Allen isn’t one to overly annex the spotlight even on his own date.

Derek Taylor

[rjjohnson-blog-blog]

JD Allen Trio - The Matador and the Bull

The JD Allen Trio's 4th album is arguably their best both in terms of compositional strength and overall performance.  The group released their last album, Victory!, almost exactly a year ago, but their development is easily noticeable within minutes of listening to this release.

The Trio is known for blending free improvisations with straight ahead swinging originals in order to weave a uniquely interesting listening experience.  Their records, as they have explained, are meant to be listened to as a complete work rather than track to track.  This attention to detail is not often seen in jazz, but certainly adds a new level of cohesion to the compositions.  Certain tracks, such as "Cathedral", an improvisation set to a constant drone provided by bassist Gregg August, serve as stepping stone, creating a seamless flow while maintaing an intriguing ambiguity between tracks.

As far as sound of sound, each player seems to have developed both personally and in terms of their overall contribution to the trio.  Allen's tone is edgier than on past releases, and his lines contain a natural grit that matches his aggressive style when playing up-tempo.  On slower pieces, Allen leaves space between his lines which is filled in by the melodically assertive drumming of Rudy Royston.  Royston stands out on the track "Paseillo", an original by Allen, and perhaps the most noteworthy performance on the recording.  Bassist Gregg August stands out as the keystone of the band, providing the stability needed for the adventurous improvisations and free interplay present throughout the album.  

The success of this trio can be attributed to their ability to keep listeners interested by mixing the familiar with the avant-garde.  Most of their tunes never make it past 3 or 4 minutes, but everything one needs to hear is contained in that short amount of time.  

JD Allen Trio - The Matador and the Bull (Savant 2012)

JD Allen (saxophone) Rudy Royston (drums), Gregg August (bass)

[rjjohnson-blog-blog]

JD Allen Trio - "Victory!"

JD Allen's third album with his working trio of Gregg August on bass and Rudy Royston on drums is probably his most talked about to date.  This album, like its predecessor, demonstrates that Allen prefers to deliver strong, concise performances rather than long explorations...at least on his recordings.  Each tune begins, quickly showcases its potential, and leaves you wanting to listen again in order to figure out why you liked it so much the first time.  The simplicity is probably why most critics and musicians enjoy this album.  There is a wide range of styles, and everything from hard swinging post bop to Paul Motian-esque rubato passages can be found on this album.  The consistent factor is the brevity of the tracks and the trios ability to create a sustained energy very quickly.  The experience of this band is obvious on the recording.  It is easy to hear that this is a working trio, and not a one off recording date.  At times, one may be reminded of the album "Motion", a date which included Lee Konitz, Elvin Jones, and Sonny Dallas.  However, the overall style is decisively modern.  Allen's study of the masters who came before him is apparent, but he has chosen to move forward rather than try to re-create the past.  As you may have seen, this album is already popping up on top 10 lists for 2011 all over the internet.

JD Allen Trio - "Victory!" (2011 Sunnyside)  JD Allen (tenor sax), Gregg August (bass), Rudy Royston (drums)

[resistance765]

"花葉色（Hanba Iro: Beige)" - Andy Akiho

Andy Akiho(Compose, Steel Pan)

Gregg August(Double Bass)

David Cossin(Drum Set)