Greg Osby Channel Three CD

Personnel: Greg Osby (vocals, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Greg Osby; Matt Brewer (vocals, bass instrument); Jeff "Tain" Watts (vocals, drums, cymbals, percussion).
Audio Mixer: Joseph Marciano.
Liner Note Author: Greg Osby.
Recording information: Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY (02/09/2005/02/10/2005).
Photographer: Till krautkrämer.
Post-bop alto saxophonist Greg Osby has a restless soul. Throughout his many albums he has hopped into and merged genres like a man trying on hats, experimenting with rap and hip-hop, funk, fusion, avant-garde, string quartets, and even what passes for mainstream jazz these days. Channel Three finds him working in a piano-less trio with drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts and bassist Matt Brewer, a situation that gives Osby plenty of room to shine, and his sax lines move with a hard and sturdy lyricism, with a little less of his trademark dissonance this time around. The absence of a chordal instrument doesn't seem to hinder anybody here, since Watts and Brewer keep things tightly locked in a deep groove at all times, giving Channel Three the feel of a complete, enclosed sequence. Watts is particularly adept at turnaround shadings, and his cymbal work is subtle, exact, and essential to the trio's ability to expand each track's theme as it progresses. Highlights include the opening track, a powerful and flowing version of Ornette Coleman's "Mob Job," the tense, insistent "Please Stand By," the eerie, tilting title track, "Channel Three," and the brisk, tight version of Eric Dolphy's "Miss Ann" that closes the set. The piano-less trio setting doesn't give anyone a place to hide, and while Osby only has a couple sax tricks up his sleeve, he plays them perfectly, and with the propulsive, percolating rhythm section of Watts and Brewer behind him, he delivers one of his most open and uncluttered albums yet. ~ Steve Leggett
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, saxophonist extraordinaire Greg Osby quietly established himself as one of the most valued and sophisticated players on the jazz scene--bending genres, writing strong original material, and seeking out ever-challenging configurations. 2005's CHANNEL THREE is Osby's first trio recording, and one that spotlights his technical expertise. Osby also continues his tradition of handpicking superb players to accompany him. Bassist Matthew Brewer and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts lend nimble, adventurous support to the leader's always-engaging melodic and harmonic explorations on a string of original tunes and treatments of Ornette Coleman ("Mob Job") and Eric Dolphy ("Miss Ann").Entertainment Weekly (No. 833, p.77) - "His tenor and soprano playing, always inventive, have never sounded so loose and graceful." - Grade: B plus
Down Beat (p.74) - 4 stars out of 5 - "His horn sounds warmer than usual on the title track, while on 'Test Pattern,' he name-checks Coleman again with a bluesy tone and highly expressive phrasing."
JazzTimes (p.70) - "[O]n pieces, like 'Mob Job', you hear solos become fully realized abstract designs that you have never heard before. Instead of prettiness, he sometimes delivers austere beauty."