By Troy Collins, Point of Departure Known for sweeping lyricism, expressive emotionalism, and unconventional structures, Chicago-based bassist, composer, and bandleader Matt Ulery has established a recognizable sound. Ulery’s music is informed by the entire spectrum of jazz, classical, rock, pop, and folk music from the Americas, the Balkans, and other European regions. For the past … Read More
by Troy Collins, Point of Departure Greg Ward’s latest offering, Stomping Off From Greenwood, is as eclectic as it is electric – a far cry from his previous acoustic endeavor. The alto saxophonist’s prior effort for Greenleaf Records, 2016’s Touch My Beloved’s Thought, was based on Charles Mingus’ The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady (Impulse! Records, 1963). Ward’s … Read More
by Troy Collins, Point of Departure Weighting, the fourth studio album by pianist Gabriel Zucker, was inspired by The Flamethrowers, a 2013 novel by Rachel Kushner in which the narrative alternates between the 1970s New York art world and Italy’s revolutionary politics. The session is composed of an expansive three-part suite divided into eight movements, titled … Read More
