Across the Way

Brad Shepik Quartet

Exclusively Available in Stereo DSD 512, DSD 256, DSD 128 and DSD 64 at NativeDSD
โ‚ฌ17,99 โ€“ โ‚ฌ30,99
Original Recording Format: PCM 88.2kHz
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The subtle textures of Brad Shepikโ€™s electric guitar and Tom Beckhamโ€™s liquid-toned vibes evoke a โ€˜70s mood in this set of creative original compositions.
โ€“ Mark Werlin


Across the Way with the Brad Shepik Quartet is a new Jazz addition to the Native DSD Music catalog from Songlines Recordings. It is Exclusively Available in Stereo DSD 512, DSD 256, DSD 128 and DSD 64 at NativeDSD.

In the first half of 2009, at the time his programmatic world-jazz Human Activity Suite was gaining raves, New York guitarist Brad Shepik was putting together an entirely new group to play pieces heโ€™d recently composed. Having led and co-led several trios during the previous 18 years, he finally settled on a quartet with vibes player Tom Beckham, whom heโ€™d been performing with for 5 years in George Schullerโ€™s Circle Wide quintet: โ€œTomโ€™s got a unique touch on the vibes and an amazing sense of harmony, he really gets inside of whatever heโ€™s playing and pulls things out of the harmony that I donโ€™t expect.โ€ From almost the beginning of the process Brad was working with a young drummer who was getting noticed a lot, Mark Guiliana: โ€œHe has an amazing touch on the drums and cymbals as well as an incredible groove and totally unique way of placing things.โ€ The quartet jelled with the addition of bassist Jorge Roeder: โ€œJorge is from Lima, Peru and just has an amazing rhythmic feel and sense of harmony that really enhances this music.โ€ Indeed, the finesse and รฉlan of the playing in the back-and-forth of the moment, for example in the way the group flexes around the grooves, or the spacious, quiet, joyful way Brad and Tom spur on each othersโ€™ solos, makes the music really sing.

This quartet embodies a fresh approach to the jazz mainstream โ€“ one that can incorporate for example west African (โ€œTransferโ€), rock/funk (โ€œMambo Terniโ€) and folk/minimalist feels (โ€œAcross the Wayโ€ and โ€œMarburgโ€). And if the music may sometimes remind listeners of new developments from the late 60s or 70s (e.g. Gary Burtonโ€™s groundbreaking fusion quartet with Larry Coryell), Brad doesnโ€™t draw hard distinctions between mainstream and freer jazz along stylistic lines: โ€œThe experience of listening to a recording of Django or Tal Farlow or Lonnie Johnson or Joe Pass or Cal Collins can hit me just as hard as listening to the great artists that are playing today. Also I think I hear a lot of the history of the earlier greats in the all of the really good players of today.โ€

What the quartet format offers is โ€œroom to stretch out as a soloistโ€ฆ.I like the freedom of playing with another chordal instrument [as well as bass]. The music Iโ€™ve been writing lately is less specialized than things I composed for groups like BABKAS and Pachora. Weโ€™re improvising just as freely in this group but with different materials and maybe in a more subtle wayโ€ฆ.The freedom to interpret the music spontaneously keeps things fresh for me as a player and composer.โ€

Brad Shepik Quartet
Brad Shepik, Guitar
Tom Beckham, Vibraphone
Mark Guiliana, Drums
Jorge Roeder, Bass

 

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
Across the Way
06:52
2.
Down the Hill
07:06
3.
Xylo
08:08
4.
Garden
05:55
5.
German Taco
07:07
6.
Marburg
06:58
7.
Transfer
06:56
8.
Pfaffenhofen
04:23
9.
Mambo Terni
06:41
10.
Your Egg Roll
04:47
11.
Train Home
05:11

Total time: 01:10:04

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