Keyboard player, composer, and photographer Dave Stapleton originally started Edition Records in 2008 to release his albums (leader of the ensemble Slowly Rolling Camera) and recordings by friends––since 2008, the label has issued albums by Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, Gretchen Parlato and Jeff Ballard (among others) while nurturing younger artists such as Fergus McCreadie (see below), Daniel Herskedal, and Laura Jurd. Since Stapleton is a artist, he does not demand that his roster conform to any particular style and sound; therefore, the label is filled with many different approaches to Creative Music.
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| Todd Rosenberg Photography |
Trumpeter and composer
Marquis Hill is a native of Chicago, IL. Born on the city's South Side in 1987, he started his musical education at a young age playing drums but switched to trumpet in the sixth grade. During college and graduate school, Hill played in jam sessions along Chicago jazz greats Ernest Dawkins, Von Freeman, and Fred Anderson going on to play with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. He won the Thelonious Monk Trumpet Competition in 2010 which led to a contract with Concord Jazz and the release of "
New Gospel" in 2011.
Since then, he's released four more albums and a series of fusion albums on his Black Unlimited Music Group label. His latest album, "
New Gospel Revisited", is his debut in Edition Records and looks back on his debut album, re-recording the record's tunes with a different lineup. Recorded in December of 2019 at Constellation, a fascinating music venue in his hometown, the 13-track program features Hill along with
Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone),
James Francies (piano),
Joel Ross (vibraphone),
Harish Raghavan (acoustic bass), and
Kendrick Scott (drums). Within the first five minutes, one can tell that this band is "on". Although Hill is the leader and these are his compositions, he is very generous with the solo space. Four of the pieces "stretch out" to over nine minutes yet the cohesiveness of this band, the exciting solos, and the expressive work of the rhythm section keeps one glued to the speakers.
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| Photo: Orel Chollette |
There are moments that the music will remind the listener of classic Blue Note Recordings of the 1960s. There is the feel of Herbie Hancock and Joe Henderson on the title track. Notice the interaction of piano, vibes, bass, and drums on the opening of "
Law and Order" and then into the melody––when Hill launches his intense solo, one hears a tinge of Freddie Hubbard. What makes this music timeless is that each musician gives his all, digging deeply into the music, filling a song such as "
Autumn" with great emotion. Francies' piano flashes behind Hill's muted trumpet solo or how both the bassist and drummer create a bouncy rhythm without it being annoying. Rhagavan's funky bass line leads the band in on "
Thump", a delightful slice of jazz blended with soul music. The soloists build their personal statements off that bass line, especially Ross followed by Francies who gets a bit frisky pushing the rhythm section to play with the tempo.
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| Photo: Shervin Lainez |
Francies (pictured left) gets the last track, "
Farewell", to himself, one of five shorter tracks that spotlights each member of Hill's Blacktet (the leader does not have one). Unlike the other pieces, the wide-ranging piano solo does not lead into another but feels like a summing-up of an album that looks back and looks forward at the same time. It's a piano take on "
Goodbye Fred" from the original album; Francies plays with the melody and his responses result in a rush of notes, double-time, and a playful if a bit unfinished finish.
"
New Gospel Revisited" is a sweet recording. Much of the music is clear and articulate, the musicians play with excitement making the music jump out at the listener. This is good music, a second starting point from which Marquis Hill move forward with creativity.
For more information, go to www.marquishill.com. To hear more and to purchase the album, go to https://marquishill.bandcamp.com/album/new-gospel-revisited.
Hear "The Thump:
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| Photo: Dave Stapleton |
The Glasgow, Scotland-based pianist and composer Fergus McCreadie is 24 years old and has been a force on the the United Kingdom jazz scene since he was in his mid-teens. He played in the Tommy Smith Jazz Orchestra, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, has toured and/or recorded with drummer Graham Costello's Strata, singer-songwriter Luca Manning, saxophonist Matt Carmichael's Quartet, and the 11-member Corto.Alto. While studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the pianist formed a trio in 2016 with bassist David Bowden and drummer Stephen Henderson: they recorded and self-released their first album, "Turas", in 2018. The album received much critical acclaim and a number of awards in Scotland. Besides introducing the rest of the world to an amazing pianist and composer, the Trio was soon signed to Edition Records.
The Trio's Edition debut, "Cairn", was issued in late January 2021. Perhaps it was because of the ongoing pandemic or that the "vibe"of the music was so positive, the recording garnered scores of positive reviews and, like its predecessor, earned its share of awards. The influence of the band members' native home, in particular, the woods, mountains, and valleys seeped into the music. 14 months after its release comes "Forest Floor": the trio is intact, the Scottish folk melodies shine through nearly every song, and the emotional content is even deeper and more impressive. That written, the opening "Law Hill" bursts out of the gate like a race horse. McCreadie's fingers fly over the piano and, as the music moves forward, Henderson is right there with him while Bowden keeps the center throbbing and the foundation solid. There are moments that are reminiscent of Keith Jarrett's "The Windup"––one hear it the stop-and-start rhythm patterns as well as the powerful forward motion. "Landslide" roils forward on the rollicking left-hand piano figure and the locomotive rhythm created by the drummer. Considering how quickly McCreadie plays, you can hear every note even in the midst of the rhythmic storm. It's not unlike the clarity that Bruce Hornsby creates on many of his uptempo works.
What truly stands out are the ballads. Songs such as the title track, the whisper-soft "
Morning Moon", or the heartwarming "
Glade", are all different yet the music and the performances points to a deep understanding of how three musicians move together as well as in and around each other. Also, one can feel the love they have for their country's natural beauty, for the waterfalls, the lakes, the mountains, and what it does to a human being who dwells there.
"
Forest Floor" is a delight from start to finish.
Fergus McCreadie continues to grow as a composer and the interplay he has created with Stephen Henderson and David Bowden equals that of Jason Moran with Tarus Mateen and Nashheet Waits (the Bandwagon trio). Don;'t believe that the thje Scottish three have appeared in the United States yet but when they do, go check them––they make "living music".
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