Josh Roseman New Constellations CD

"As the story goes, chops-heavy and always-hip jazz trombonist Josh Roseman recorded this live set as an homage to Ska-legend, trombonist Don Drummond. And while this outing was recorded at Joe Zawinul’s Birdland club in Vienna, Roseman and cohorts remixed the live tapes back in New York. With some EFX-processing and ferocious funk and dub movements, Roseman’s octet shoots for the stars here. Nonetheless, the overall tone is based upon Reggae grooves amid punchy horns choruses and off-kilter, jazz-based variations."=Glenn AstaritaThe trombonist flexes some might with brawny soloing escapades on “Greasy Feets Music,” where notions of Tower of Power morphing a house-beat vamp come to mind. In other regions of this disc, the band ventures into some rebel-rousing maneuvers as they speed up various rhythmic metrics to complement the soloists’ steamy exchanges. During “I Should Have Known Better,” the band rides atop looped vocal tracks amid other pieces designed with snappy lines and hard-hitting arrangements. It’s jazz-tinged party music with a Master’s Degree. – Glenn AstaritaAdditional information, visit: www.joshroseman.com and www.accuraterecords.comJosh Roseman has recorded and toured with the creme de la creme of progressive modern jazz: Dave Holland, Dave Douglas, Steve Coleman and Don Byron, to name but a few. In and outside of these contexts, Roseman projects a big personality, with a kaleidoscopic, boundless approach to music.In addition to being a cutting-edge live jazz recording, his upcoming New Constellations is also a high-tech remix album and homage to one of the founding fathers of ska- the visionary trombonist Don Drummond.Roseman (whose mother is Jamaican), began conceptualizing the New Constellations band while recording with ska pioneers Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso and the Skatalites, a total immersion in Drummond's songwriting and playing legacy. Roseman reflects, “When we played Kingston, Don D's tracks were blasting from sound systems across the countryside every night of the week. You got the sense of what his music meant for the people. There are very few parallels for that in the trombone world, maybe Barry Rogers with Eddie Palmieri, Duke's men or Fred Wesley here in the States.”Drummond's eccentric phrasing and anthemic melodies struck a chord: “Don's music has helped to complete my image of the instrument. The sound is hardwired for me. As a player, it's part of my roots.”New Constellations, however, is no mere retro recreation project. Drummond's compositions are reinterpreted, remixed and pushed into open territory here, employing deep dubcraft and the full complement of avant-jazz methods along the way. Back in NYC, Roseman gave the tapes a radical makeover with the help of Brooklyn electro-pranksters, GoodandEvil. The result is a deep, colorful dub-parade, hard grooving with a huge sonic palette. This is new ground for a live album, a mind-bending listening experience melding subversive creativity onstage and in the studio.The CONSTELLATIONS' front line reunites Roseman with celebrated multi-instrumentalist Peter Apfelbaum and introduces young trumpet monster Ambrose Akinmusire. These three horns bring a huge sound and a startlingly expansive viewpoint to the material.The rhythm team includes Jonathan Maron and Barney McAll, the bass-and-keys tandem from the Groove Collective and Roseman's future-funk ensemble, the JRU. They have ample experience playing sweaty dance clubs and creating intricate electronic tapestries onstage. On New Constellations, McAll displays a deft touch on acoustic piano, tape-delayed melodica, amplified music boxes and a wide-ranging lo-fi sample library. Justin Brown is an audacious, uncategorizable new talent on drums, and he provides ample mystery filling for the group sound. Roseman continues to expand the adventurous territory staked out by his first two CDs. His debut as a leader, Cherry (2001), was a study in interlocking opposites, ingeDown Beat (p.73) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Roseman's trombone and pen tie it all together....The music enters a nice realm of unpredictability..."