On the horizon.
New SHADOW FORMS CD coming out in May
w/ Jeff Hirshfield & Scott Lee.
This one features some electronics and the bass clarinet.
Also have a new quartet CD in the works…..more to come on that...
Here are some upcoming events:
FRI JAN 18
7:30 PM
Manhattan School of Music
120 Claremont Avenue New York, NY 10027
(212) 749-2802
Borden Auditorium
Premiere of Andrew's "Arrival" for MSM Jazz Philharmonic
featuring Andrew as soloist.
http://www.msmnyc.edu/
SAT FEB 9
8:00 PM
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
58th 7th Ave, in Park Slope Brooklyn
Andrew Rathbun Large Ensemble w/ Connection Works
http://www.connectionworks.org/
WED FEB 27
8:30 PM
Cornelia Street Cafe
29 Cornelia St
New York, 10014
(212) 989-9319
www.corneliastreetcafe.com
andrew rathbun - reeds
gary versace - piano
jay anderson - bass
bill stewart - drums
Join Andrew and this new ensemble as they play new pieces from "Numbers & Letters," Andrew's new project
Here is the link.
Here is the poster.
Some clips of a quartet at Cornelia Street Cafe:
Me + Nate Radley + Joe Martin + Clarence Penn
Pass It In.
Son Suite I.
Son Suite II.
Folly (of the Future Fallen).
Wheel.
A really nice writer and musician named Alania Ferris wrote a nice profile of me at FRONTIER PSYCHIATRIST
Here is the link.
A good review of The Idea of North at Peter Hum's blog.
Here is the link.
A nice review of The Idea of North at All About Jazz.
Here is the link.
Check out the Feb. issue of Downbeat for a feature on the latest release, The Idea of North
Here is the link.
Andrew Rathbun's CD The Idea of North was inspired by the late classical pianist Glenn Gould's radio documentary of the same name, though the latter debuted back in 1967 (after Gould had retired from public performing). Rathbun, a fellow Canadian, used the diversity of his homeland's geography and climate, plus the solitude of much of the landscape, as stimulus for his compositions. The saxophonist penned six sketches to give his musical interpretation of Canada. "Harsh" unfolds into the avant-garde, with his hard-blowing tenor sax interacting with the tense rhythm section. As Rathbun switches to soprano sax for the tantalizing post-bop "December," one can feel the sense of isolation and loneliness during a winter journey far from civilization. The interplay of trumpeter Taylor Haskins and pianist Frank Carlberg is a highlight of Rathbun's demanding "Rockies." Rathbun also incorporates music by others, with a haunting treatment of Wayne Shorter's ballad "Teru" (playing tenor) and a majestic setting of 18th century German composer Christoph Gluck's Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits, where he again switches to soprano. Andrew Rathbun's The Idea of North needs no film footage to convey the wonders of Canada. ~ Ken Dryden, ALL MUSIC GUIDE
At all your favorite online retailers, like:
itunes.
Andrew Rathbun - saxophones
Taylor Haskins - trumpet
Nate Radley - guitar
Frank Carlberg - piano
Jay Anderson - bass
Michael Sarin - drums
From JazzTimes:
.
From Downbeat:
.
From Peter Hum, jazzblog.ca
...Rathbun's CD, Where We Are Now, features a quintet tackling Rathbun's meaty, moody compositions. Guitarist Nate Radley, a notable post-Kurt Rosenwinkel player, is more a front-line member than rhythm-section man on the disc. Pianist George Colligan more than satisfies the requirements of Rathbun's challenging material. Bassist Johannes Wiedenmuller anchors things perfectly while drummer Billy Hart is the band's extra something -- on Where We Are Now, Hart's broadly splashing as only he can.
Like many a Canadian jazz player, Rathbun has a special place in his heart for the writing of Kenny Wheeler. If you like the striking intervals and evocative, open harmonies of Wheeler's compositions, Rathbun's gorgeous music -- which I'm not calling derivative -- will be right up your alley. Rathbun has in common with Wheeler and Wayne Shorter an exquisite ear for blending rich harmony and ear-catching melodies. I especially like A Stern, a loping straight-eighths journey featuring a keen soprano sax solo by Rathbun. Wheel is a spacious slow song that affords Weidenmuller and Radley room to shine. Far from doleful, Lament is a energetic romp with Radley keenly picking, Rathbun heartily blowing and Hart joyously flailing. Throughout, Rathbun's playing is robust and throaty. Since I raised the Coltrane/Brecker comparison with Bowen, I'll say that Rathbun's more in the Joe Lovano/Joe Henderson ballpark....
The complete review here.
From Scott Yanow, LA JAZZ SCENE
Tenor and soprano-saxophonist Andrew Rathbun on Where We Are Now explores postbop jazz, which is music that falls into the large area of being more advanced than hard bop but not quite as free as avant-garde jazz. Rathbun, whose soprano sound (but not his notes) recalls Wayne Shorter, is particularly original as a tenor-saxophonist and a composer. He is joined by guitarist Nate Radley, pianist George Colligan, bassist Johannes Weidenmuller and veteran drummer Billy Hart. Unfortunately the liner notes say little about Rathbun's nine originals so one has no clue what the background is for the four-part "Son Suite." However the music does not require any explanation since the playing is at a very high level, Rathbun, Radley and Colligan perform concise and meaningful solos, the ensembles are clean and this is an example of modern mainstream jazz of the early 21st century.
ANDREW RATHBUN
Where We Are Now Steeplechase****
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings calls Rathbun a rising star and, on this evidence, that s spot on. The Canadian saxophonist/ composer is a gifted performer who writes challenging and complex pieces; their main raison d' etre may be harmonic, but their lines also have a kind of cerebral lyricism ideally suited to his tenor and soprano. There is also a wider ambition here: no less than a state-of-the-US-nation address in music. Whether it has the resonance of Rathbun s earlier, Bush-bashing Affairs of State is arguable; a sense of unease lurks here, especially in the four-part Son Suite, dedicated to his child, so the points being made are more subtle. But the music, with Nate Radley (guitar) and a George Colligan-Johannes Weidenmuller- Billy Hart rhythm section, is seldom less than engrossing, with Rathbun s soprano captivatingly eloquent and Hart a force of nature.
RAY COMISKEY, THE IRISH TIMES
It is quite insouciant to categorize jazz musicians as either composers or players. But jazz devotees sometimes typecast artists as writers or interpreters of music. With a mature talent such as composer/saxophonist Andrew Rathbun, categorizing him in one camp or the other is unwarranted.
With Where We Are Now, his tenth disc as leader, he displays his growing maturity as a player and more of his acclaimed talents as composer/arranger.
Like his last few discs, he sets aside his taste for poetry and vocalists to center the session on the music. That's not to say his writing isn't chock-full of versification. His "Son Suite" in four parts, written (of course) for his child, is a cohesive 26-minutes of music, showcasing both the writing and soloing. The mysterious opening gives way to a joyous music, Rathbun switching between the soprano and tenor saxophones to alter the mood. By the fourth section, bassist Johannes Weidenmuller's bowing is followed by a mallet solo from master percussionist Billy Hart's that reads like a fine verse.
As for the remainder of the tracks, Rathbun sequences some passionate playing on "Lament," and a bit more introspective fair on "A Stern." The latter composition features Rathbun's considerate soprano saxophone driven (always driven) by Hart. The vigorous "Lament" allows the players to stretch out, signaling the opportunity for guitarist Nate Radley to lay down some simple clean lines in response to Rathbun's plush tenor. Pianist George Colligan, a regular companion of Rathbun's, supplies the steady accompaniment here. His solo on the closing "No Longer" follows a concise tenor statement from the leader, and begins with one hand before graduating to a two-handed speed solo.
The music of Andrew Rathbun draws into the composition, but requires you to stay for the performance.
Mark Corroto, ALL ABOUT JAZZ
Here is the link.
Poetry has played a significant part in the oeuvre of Andrew Rathbun, and this recording is no exception. In his past work, the poetry has on more than one occasion been a spoken accompaniment to the music (& vice-versa). Here (as is often the case on planet Earth these days) the poetry can be found in the cracks: in nearly all of Billy Hart’s embellishments, especially the stunning, stark, and utterly definitive last tones of the evocative “Son Suite”; in George Colligan’s exquisite touch on the opening notes of “A Stern” which truly set the song afloat, in Johannes Weidenmuller’s intense, determined solo on “Wheel”; in the Icarus-like moments during Nate Radley’s flight on “Film Under Glass”; in Andrew Rathbun’s haunting saxophone-choir of-himself during the last movement of the “Son Suite.” Moments like these are plentiful on this recording. Perhaps most importantly though, these musicians have been given superbly crafted frameworks within which to find these moments. Certainly this would not be possible without the deft touch of a skilled composer shaping and guiding the music in the least intrusive manner possible. It is here that we find the voice of Andrew Rathbun in this reading of where we are now. Andrew’s last recording, “Affairs of State,” wordlessly wrestled with the increasingly complex issues facing the United States and the world today. “Where We Are Now” is a testament to exactly that: a perspective on where we stand a few years later, on the cusp of one of the most important decisions to ever be made by the American public, which will surely have far-reaching consequences no matter which way it ends up. This situation, as we all know, is unsettled; it’s tenuous at best, and has been for some time now. The public is anxious and people have many questions about the future. The music herein reflects this with an ever- present probing nature, and a firm resolution to remain unresolved. The essence of a true artist comes from a desire to bring conflicting ideas together in order to show that there is no separation between them: all is one. It is he who can see the beauty in an ugly situation, who feels hope even when there is no light, who can see the flow of poetry everywhere, even in something as rigidly mechanized as American politics.
Taylor Haskins
Brooklyn, NY 2008
Andrew Rathbun - saxophones
Nate Radley - guitar
George Colligan - piano
Johannes Weidenmuller - bass
Billy Hart - drums
A few notices about the new CD:
DOWNBEAT: "With impressive tone and phrasing, Rathbun knows his way around the horn, as he shapes personable and expressive solos."
CODA: Rathbun's attractive sound and smart writing are ever present on nine originals composed for his own personal state of the union musical message. Lots to enjoy here, including sinuous interplay, the clever unraveling of the leader's complex notions, harmonic prowess, attractive melodies and sophisticated outlook that slips and slides to exhilarating, yet never overstated effect."
GLOBE AND MAIL: Who says political music has to have lyrics? For his eighth album, tenor saxophonist Andrew Rathbun - a Toronto native settled in Brooklyn - looks at life under George W. Bush, and comes away bemused, appalled, angry and upset. This isn't protest music in the sixties '60s vein, all shrieking horns and improvisational chaos; instead, Rathbun and his quintet rely on wit and understatement to make their points. Like fellow saxophonist Mark Turner, Rathbun combines a cool, dry tone with a fondness for melodic-yet-cerebral improvisation, and has a perfect foil in trumpeter Taylor Haskins, whose playing manages to be both warmly expressive and nimbly aggressive. In all, an engaging, thought-provoking album.
ALL ABOUT JAZZ: Andrew Rathbun is a Canadian-born tenor saxophonist resident in New York, a Brooklyn regular who has garnered support from fellow tenorists Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman as well as trumpeter Kenny Wheeler. That should give some sense of Rathbun's lineage. He's a thoughtful player and—true to the influence of Wheeler (and Booker Little) and the mid-'60s Miles Davis quintet—a skillful composer, honing a refined lyricism that explores challenging harmonic patterns.
He`s also interested in consistent partnerships. The quintet heard here includes two musicians, trumpeter Taylor Haskins and bassist John Hebert, who played on Rathbun's first quintet session, Scatter Some Stones (Challenge, 1998). Returning the favor, Rathbun has also appeared on Haskins' two Fresh Sound CDs. As one might expect, there's a close-knit feeling that extends from hand-in-glove ensemble playing to some understated contrapuntal improvising.
Rathbun likes extra-musical themes (two of his previous CDs have been poetry settings), and the pieces here reference the decline of America in the Bush years, from the Iraq war to collapsing infrastructure and luxury condos; however, the album's dominant moods are melancholy and resilience rather than rage, an introspective lyricism that wouldn't otherwise suggest the political theme. Rathbun's compositions use contrasting elements to create tension and develop texture, as in the antiphonal voicings of "Fragmented," the dissonant elegy of "We Have Nothing But Tears" and the effective use of sparkling electric piano on "Folly." His tenor sound possesses significant flexibility, from warm calm to gritty resistance; it's a fine match with Haskins, whose pitch inflections can add a sudden illumination.
The rhythm section—Herbert joined by pianist Gary Versace and drummer Mike Sarin—is a model of support, a loose and engaged presence balancing empathy and aggression with an almost orchestral breadth. The result is consistently thoughtful, well-crafted music in a mature idiom.
JAZZTIMES
from the May 2008 issue
Affairs of State (SteepleChase)
“Fiction could not create more colorful, ridiculous characters,” writes Andrew Rathbun in the liner notes to Affairs of State. He’s speaking of the Bush administration. A native of Canada based in Brooklyn, Rathbun is upset, like many, by political realities in the U.S. Since instrumental jazz, not fiction, is his expressive medium, he offers nine new compositions that speak to life under Bush, with such titles as “Fiasco,” “Break the Chains” and “We Have Nothing But Tears.” No major-key strolls in the park here. No heavy-handed rants, either. The program succeeds above all on musical grounds. Rathbun is an advanced tenor/soprano sax improviser whose previous efforts, including his 2002 Kenny Wheeler collaboration Sculptures, are well worth acquiring.
Playing tenor exclusively on Affairs of State, he leads a quintet with his frequent collaborator Taylor Haskins on trumpet. Gary Versace is credited on piano, though he plays Rhodes on four tracks. Bassist John Hebert and drummer Mike Sarin bring agitation but also fluidity into the mix. Rathbun gravitates toward funky, straight-eighth rhythms and complex linear patterns that set soloists off and running. “Tears,” freer in conception, has the band improvising collectively as Versace’s Rhodes conjures a strange, almost machinelike aura of post-tonality. There’s a more lyrical, legato side as well, on the 9/11 remembrance “5th Anniversary” and the spacious “Ongoing.” Finally, on “Paint Peelings,” a comment on failing infrastructure, Rathbun adds yet another new sound element, overdubbing his horn to access three-part harmony.
David Adler
All Music Guide:
All Music Guide
Andrew Rathbun's Affairs of State is a collection of compositions that the tenor saxophonist considers as his musical impressions of the failures of President George W. Bush's administration. Joined by trumpeter Taylor Haskins, pianist Gary Versace, bassist John Hebert, and drummer Mike Sarin, Rathbun's demanding post-bop pieces are full of tension, though his liner notes do little to help understand them, coming off as more of an angry diatribe. That's not to say that his music rambles like a typical Bush press conference. "We Have Nothing But Tears" is a haunting melody, as is the elegant, sorrowful "5th Anniversary" (written on the fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001). Rathbun and Haskins enrich one another's playing in the richly textured "Paint Peelings," while "Break the Chains" is a driving number, with the band progressing through all 12 keys in eight bars. This is compelling music, regardless of whether or not a listener buys into Andrew Rathbun's political views. Ken Dryden
(there's that Ken Dryden again....
...."glove save and a beauty!")
Toronto-born, New York-based saxophonist and composer ANDREW RATHBUN is at the forefront of a new generation of jazz innovators. His improvisations are at once melodic, gritty and technically stirring. His compositions are lyrical, harmonically complex and formally ambitious. There is a poetic and multi-dimensional quality to Andrew's music, which fellow saxophonist Joe Lovano has praised for its "warmth and beauty."
In addition to his work as a leader, Andrew has recorded or performed with Luciana Souza, Eddie Gomez, John Abercrombie, Reggie Workman, Ingrid Jensen, Jay Anderson, Kenny Wheeler, Jerry Bergonzi, and many more. He has studied with Pat LaBarbera, Jerry Bergonzi, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, Jim McNeeley, Lewis Spratlan, and George Garzone.
Andrew has documented his individual sound on a series of acclaimed recordings, mainly for the Fresh Sound New Talent label. On Jade and True Stories, he wrote original music to complement poetry texts by Cathy Song and Margaret Atwood, respectively. On Days Before and After, co-led with drummer Owen Howard, Andrew employed the adventurous two-guitar team of Ben Monder and Geoff Young. On the 2002 quintet release Sculptures, Andrew joined forces with the legendary trumpeter (and fellow Canadian) Kenny Wheeler. Shortly after the release of Sculptures, Andrew collaborated with Wheeler again in a live large-ensemble setting, performing classic Wheeler compositions as well as new Rathbun works, including the "Power Politics Suite." Andrew has also written a variety of chamber and orchestral pieces, as well as pieces for the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, the Dave Liebman Big Band, the Fresh Sound New Talent Jazz Orchestra, the Metropole Orchestra, and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. With Renderings: The Art of the Duo, Andrew reunites with pianist George Colligan, who appeared on True Stories as well as Scatter Some Stones (Challenge Records), Andrew's 1999 debut as a leader. Along with two Colligan originals and an opening treatment of Maurice Ravel's "Menuet sur le nom du Haydn," Renderings features two extended works: Andrew's "Suite for soprano saxophone and piano" and selections from "Musica Callada" by the late Spanish composer Federico Mompou (1893-1987). Andrew and George approach these dense classical themes as jazz improvisers, expanding on their harmonic implications while faithfully articulating their inherent beauty. In his liner notes, the great David Liebman writes of the "high artistry, flawless technique and intense communication" that the duo idiom requires. He declares that Andrew and George "are definitely up to the challenge that the art of the duo presents." His latest CD Shadow Forms (SteepleChase), is a free-wheeling outing with tenor legend George Garzone. This ensemble recently completed a tour of the Canadian Jazz festivals, and was hailed as a “killer band” by the Vancouver Jazz Festival. Affairs of State, is a complex and gritty set of compositions lamenting the great unraveling that has occurred over the last six years in the United States. Both recordings were met with wide critical acclaim. Where We Are Now (SteepleChase) features jazz percussion master Billy Hart. His latest release is Idea of North, a sextet exploration which finds the radio work of Glenn Gould as its inspiration. As a sideman, Andrew has appeared on over 25 recordings.
Andrew Rathbun continues to push past musical boundaries, both on record and in live gigs throughout New York City. He earned his Masters with Academic Honors and Distinction in Performance from Boston's New England Conservatory. His other awards and distinctions include grants from the Ontario Council for the Arts, the Canada Council and the American Music Center. He has served as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, an artist at the Banff Center for the Arts, a fellow at the MacDowell Colony, and a woodwind studio instructor on faculty at the University of Maine. He currently teaches at Kingsborough College in Brooklyn, and the Manhattan School of Music, where he received his Doctorate in Jazz Arts.
DAVID ADLER, All Music Guide, Downbeat, Jazztimes, Village Voice.
Andrew Rathbun (tenor, soprano saxophone) Taylor Haskins (trumpet) Gary Versace (piano) John Hebert (bass) Michael Sarin (drums)
1. Fragmented 6:08 6:12
2. We Have Nothing But Tears 8:13
3. Around the Same Circles, Again and Again 7:12
4. Break the Chains 6:01
5. 5th Anniversary 6:36
7. Ongoing 8:28
6. Fiasco 6:32
8. Folly (of the Future Fallen) 6:19
9. Paint Peelings 8:57
All compositions by Andrew Rathbun
Recorded New York, NY, January 2007, at The Studio by Jon Rosenburg
[Steeplechase 31630]
Andrew Rathbun (tenor, soprano saxophone, clarinet, keyboards) George Garzone (tenor saxophone) Scott Lee (bass) Jeff Hirshfield (drums)
1. Street Talk (Joe Lovano) 5:16
2. To The Matt (Scott Lee) 3:52
3. Scatter Scott (Andrew Rathbun) 6:12
3. Drewsie (Lee) 5:10
4. Pass It In (Rathbun) 6:08
5. Herbie at Sixty (Lee) 4:53
7. Ripple (Rathbun) 6:16
6. This Fall (Lee) 4:07
9. Elmo (Rathbun) 4:10
7. Look Again (Lee) 8:06
8. 15 Min. Drill (Rathbun) 6:32
9. Onmo (Kenny Wheeler) 3:53
Recorded New York, NY, January 2006.
[Steeplechase 31598]
1. Menuet sur le nom du Haydn (Maurice Ravel) 5:51
2. Suite for soprano saxophone and piano (A.Rathbun) 25:46
- Part I
- Part II
- Part III
- Part IV
- Part V
- Part VI
- Part VII
3. The last waltz (G.Colligan) 5:31
4. Musica callada (Federico Mompou) 22:08
- I Angelico
- II Lento
- III Placide
- IV Affitto e penoso
- V ([M.M.]= 54)
- VI Lento
5. Silkscreen (G.Colligan) 5:30
Recorded at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY, January 17, 2004.
[Fresh Sound Records]
This group combines saxophone and the interesting textures of two guitars, with bass and drums.
Andrew Rathbun (saxophones, voice, piano), Owen Howard (drums), John Hebert (bass), Ben Monder (electric guitar), Geoff Young (acoustic, electric, fretless guitar)
1. Darkness before Light (Rathbun) - 8:52
2. Missing the Sea (Rathbun) - 4:48
3. Forward Motian (Howard) - 8:11
4. Life as Crystals (Rathbun) - 6:46
5. The Whole Enchilada (Howard) - 4:35
6. There will Come Soft Rains (Rathbun) - 7:01
7. Nomad (Howard) - 8:00
8. Hiccup (Howard) - 6:32
9. Hinge (Rathbun) - 7:38
Recorded in Toronto, March 2004
[Fresh Sound Records]
Extended set of compositions for quintet with the great Kenny Wheeler.
Andrew Rathbun (ts, ss), Kenny Wheeler (tp, flh), Frank Carlberg (p), John Hebert (b), Jeff Hirshfield (d)
1. Sculpture 1
2. Nameless
3. Your Eyes Changed Us
4. Architect
5. Duo I
6. Sculpture 2
7. Doves and Hawks
8. Talking in My Sleep
9. Facing West
10. She Sceams in Whispers
11. Z
12. Duo II
13. Kid Song
14. Sculpture 3
15. Holiday of Fools
16. Fitzgerald
17. Duo III
18. At the tip of the Island
19. The Farmonics Game
20. Duo IV
21. Sculpture 4
Recorded in New York, September 2001
[Fresh Sound Records]
Four works of master Canadian author Margaret Atwood set to music, offset with some shorter, edgy pieces.
Andrew Rathbun (reeds), Luciana Souza (vcl), Taylor Haskins (tp),
George Colligan (p, Fender Rhodes), John Hebert (b), Jeff Hirshfield (d)
1. Vignette 1. (A.Rathbun)
2. True Stories Part I. (A.Rathbun)
3. True Stories Part II. (A.Rathbun)
4. True Stories Part III. (A.Rathbun)
5. Vignette II (A.Rathbun)
6. Another Aspect (A.Rathbun)
7. Blue Jays (A.Rathbun)
8. Cards (A.Rathbun)
9. Majority (A.Rathbun)
10. She Who Choose. (A.Rathbun)
11 Vignette III (A.Rathbun)
Recorded In New York City, August 2000
[Fresh Sound Records]
Poet Cathy Song's work 'Lost Sister' set to music. A song cycle created for octet, featuring the vocals of Luciana Souza.
Andrew Rathbun (sop/ten. saxophone, compositions), Taylor Haskins (tp), Helen Richman (fl), Chris Komer (fh), John Stetch (p), Ben Street (b), George Schuller (d), Luciana Souza (vcl)
1. Jade Part I (A.Rathbun)
2. Jade II (A.Rathbun)
3. Jade Part III. (A.Rathbun)
4. Jade Part IV. (A.Rathbun)
5. Jade V (A.Rathbun)
6. Jade VI (A.Rathbun)
Recorded in New Jersey, June 1998
[Fresh Sound Records]
A set of contemporary jazz for quintet.
Andrew Rathbun (soprano & tenor saxophones), Taylor Haskins (trumpet), George Colligan (piano), John Hebert (bass), Jeff Hirshfield
(drums)
1.Scatter Some Stones.
2. Lost Poems
3. Stumblin'
4. Top Corner, The
5. 9 Nations
6. Deja You
7. Lazybird
8. Two Lines
9. Ephesus
All compositions by Andrew Rathbun, except Lazybird (John Coltrane)
Recorded at The Studio, New York, New York in April 1998 and March
1999. Includes liner notes by Joe Lovano.
[A-Records]
These are two pieces that were recorded for the Fresh Sound New Talent CD, "The Sound of New York Jazz Underground." It was so much fun to be a part of that wonderful project, and have such a tremendous band record the music. The first piece is entitled "Nine" and was dedicated to Jordi Pujol, who is the producer of all the amazing Fresh Sound recordings.
Nine
Jordi wanted the composers to contribute an original recording, and a standard. For the standard, I did an arrangement of Wayne Shorter's "Witch Hunt" which was my attempt to construct a piece within his piece.
Witch Hunt
Also included here is an arrangement I wrote for the Metropole Orchestra this year, featuring Fay Claassen, an amazing European vocalist.
Almost Blue
Here is a recent Chamber Work:
1st Movement
1st Mvt.
2nd Movement
2nd Mvt.
1st Mvt. Score
1st Mvt. Score
2nd Mvt. Score
2nd Mvt. Score
Here are a few selected press excerpts. If you want to see some the other things that have been written about some of my work, including the unfavorable reviews, or even the absurd ones (like the time one of the CD's was compared to Nat and Cannonball Adderly's band), let me know....
SHADOW FORMS
All About Jazz: By Budd Kopman
For some reason, I never associated Andrew Rathbun with the Canadian scene, especially as embodied in the ever-expanding circle of David Braid and Mike Murley. There is something in his playing and compositions, just like Kenny Wheeler, that I cannot place--and which renders him distinct from the others.
In any case, Shadow Forms is a wonderful album and, in typical Rathbun fashion, it could not be more different from his previous release, Renderings: The Art Of The Duo. In that effort with George Colligan, the duo explored its classical side in music of such extreme delicacy it practically floated. This release has more blowing, especially on the tunes shared with George Garzone, a famed teacher and presence in Boston (see The Fringe: Live at Zeitgeist for a powerhouse example of his freedom and inventiveness).
Besides Garzone, who joins in on five tracks to make a quartet, Rathbun's main trio partners are bassist Scott Lee, who also contributed five compositions, and drummer Jeff Hirshfield. Both Lee and Hirshfield are in-demand sidemen who have played on many recordings. However, it is their long association with alto/soprano saxophonist Loren Stillman (How Sweet It Is, Gin Bon and It Could Be Anything) that piqued my interest, especially when there were so many places in Shadow Forms in which echoes of Stillman's records could be heard.
Rathbun relates in the notes that the album's title is meant to denote the compositional methodology in relation to form, calling it “open moments within a codified form.” This allows the players great freedom, but with a concomitant requirement of close attention and concentration to make music which needs close listening. Surely, Garzone is at ease playing with loosely coupled but attentive groups, and both Lee and Hirshfield breathe this attitude as a team. Stillman works this way, and Lee contributions to his recordings fit right in.
Rathbun's clarinet and soprano sax sounds are both extremely pure, as exemplified by ”Drewsie” and “Herbie At Sixty” respectively, which, perhaps coincidentally, are Lee compositions, as is “To The Matt,” the other soprano tune. The tenor sound is wide-ranging, swinging from the driving counterpunching of Joe Lovano's “Street Talk,” taken at a fast clip, to the tenderness and pathos of “This Fall 9/11.” Nevertheless, underlying all of Rathbun's playing and compositions is a sensitivity and intelligence that is audible even at times of seeming abandon.
Rathbun's next album will most likely not sound anything like Shadow Forms, which makes his journey all the more interesting to follow. The restless intelligence that informs this fine record only whets the appetite for the next.
The Toronto Star:
The reputation of Canadian saxophonist exile Rathbun keeps growing in his current base, New York City. His latest disc, seventh as a leader, offers up a dozen tracks that underscore the clarity of his sound even on five, mostly hard-charging items such as opening burner "Street Talk" where his firm and imaginative tenor is matched with acerbic, bruising fellow-tenor George Garzone. Otherwise, its a trio. On the balladic "To The Matt" by bassist Scott Lee, responsible for five cuts as is Rathbun, the boss plays poignant soprano while elsewhere (on another Lee tune, "Drewsie") he favours clarinet. Occasionally it's keyboards. The adventurous quartet, which manages the neat trick of combining free jazz improv with what superficially sounds through-composed, is completed by sensitive drummer Jeff Hirshfield. They deliver music that's often enthralling, always interesting.
Geoff Chapman
All About Jazz NEW YORK:
Canadian jazz musicians are frequently overlooked by American jazz fans unless they record for a US-based label, but ignore Andrew Rathbun at your own risk. There is a lot to like about his latest SteepleChase CD, as there are plenty of surprising twists within these intimate performances....This outstanding release remains fresh with each hearing, as new facets of these performances become apparent to the listener.
Ken Dryden
(not the goalie....but that would be cool....)
All About Jazz:By Mark Corroto
After a series of challenging and complex recordings, saxophonist Andrew Rathbun gives us his “unplugged” album, minus the larger ensembles present on his earlier releases. The seven-piece Jade (FSNT, 2000) with vocalist Luciana Souza, the recording of Margaret Atwood’s poetry on True Stories (Blue Moon, 2001), and even his quintet recording Sculptures (FSNT, 2002) with Kenny Wheeler focused more on writing, rather than his horn playing.
With Renderings: The Art Of The Duo (FSNT, 2006), a chamber jazz duet recording with George Colligan, and the nearly contemporaneous Shadow Forms, listeners can focus on Rathbun’s outstanding horn work. This session sans piano is a masterwork of sound.
Rathbun is ably assisted here by drummer Jeff Hirshfield and bassist Scott Lee. This session reminds me of the “SteepleChase sound” and other sessions with the likes of Dexter Gordon, Billy Harper and Archie Shepp. Rathbun invited Boston legend George Garzone to sit in, and the pair trade tenor blasts on five tracks. The uptempo opener, “Street Talk,” catches your attention with flexing muscles and traded tenor jabs. This joy continues between the two on “Scatter Scott” and the very sweet “Pass It On.” The very somber “The Fall 9/11,” by Scott Lee, is a soft upper-register discussion of questions raised and never answered in 2001.
Rathbun picks up his soprano saxophone for two tracks, “Two The Matt” and “Herbie At Sixty,” and clarinet on “Drewsie.” These tracks showcase Rathbun’s penchant for a more intimate playing. He reminds us that he is comfortable inside and out of the jazz medium.
The pared-down lineup in which Rathbun is presented here allows one to revisit his prior recordings with a clear perspective of his command of his instruments.
RENDERINGS
DownBeat:
While the focus on composed material partly explains why the pair reveals such refinement and precision, much of the credit belongs to their own sense of discipline and restraint. Both Rathbun and Colligan devote themselves to the material, sculpting their improvisations in a way that never overshadows the careful structures and gentle melodies; there’s a profound balance to this recording.
DownBeat ***
The label “art of the duo” seems to get slapped on every meeting between paired improvisers. It’s a cliché, yet I gotta hand it to saxophonist Andrew Rathbun and pianist George Colligan: Their collaboration is nothing if not artful. In the olden days, their amalgam of classical music and jazz would’ve been called “third stream.” The duo plays a demanding set of classically inspired pieces that includes adaptations of compositions by impressionist Maurice Ravel and the 20th-century Spanish composer Federico Mompou. Rathbun is a remarkably precise soprano saxophonist. His pitch is dead-on, his control of the instrument and grasp of traditional expressive devices impressive. There’s a touch of Jan Garbarek in his playing, which works out quite well,as Colligan’s exquisite touch and sense of dynamics references Keith Jarrett—and those with good memories recall the rapport Garbarek and Jarrett once shared. There’s an extraordinary intellectual rigor to this music. Spontaneity is not a defining element. Those who cherish discipline and classic musical values, however, should find much to like.
JAZZTIMES
Renderings emphasizes calmness and sensitivity without succumbing to somnambulism. Rathbun's feathery and glistening soprano mixes with Colligan's warm piano to create an almost classical atmosphere of interplay...the songs evoke images of French impressionism with their emphasis on space and tone. Spacious and warm, Renderings is truly a work of art.
ALL ABOUT JAZZ (California)
Renderings focuses on a seamless blend of jazz and classical music and an imperceptible flow between written and improvised parts. For references, you might recall the abstract improvisations of Wayne Shorter and albums on the ECM label, with a spacious, through-composed quality. The compositions have a distilled directness. No notes are wasted. I like this album because it feels honest, as well as for the duo's ingenuity and precision. The musicians show sensitivity to the material and don't impose alien approaches when they improvise. They respect the compositions.
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER
Andrew Rathbun and George Colligan - Renderings (Fresh Sound): Yet another example of exquisite tightrope-walking in the form of improvisations between a saxophonist and a pianist. The trick, as in the case of the aforementioned Iyer/Mahanthappa duets, involves how these musicians imagine what an actual rhythm section might present as a catalyst for improvisation. Canadian saxophonist Rathbun and American pianist Colligan give themselves the challenge of improvising on themes from Maurice Ravel and the obscure Spanish composer Federico Mompou. The result is that rare jazz disc that can equally delight both classical-music and jazz fans, a joyous meeting of the minds marked by stirring transitions from neo-classical restraint to jazzy daring”
Christian Science Monitor
Rathbun and Colligan have forged a significant partnership, with Colligan supporting on Rathbun’s recent recordings and collaborating on a quietly animated 2004 CD called Renderings: The Art of the Duo
TORONTO LIFE MAGAZINE
“...the project, crossing boundaries, is a full success: the music is knowing, absolutely contemporary in its approach, succeeding in crossing the transition between composition and improvisation as well as those between jazz and so-called melodic serious music. If you prefer a more jazzy and groovy sound, listen to Andrew's previous release "Days Before and After." Post and freebop from the New York jazz scene.”
REISEN
DAYS BEFORE AND AFTER
You're not going to find a more fascinating demonstration of unique musical communication than Days Before and After....Rathbun's got a unaffected, plangent tone on both tenor and soprano; he's got a clear-minded thematic precision in his soloing. There's so much good music coming out of New York lately that it can be somewhat overwhelming. That said, one can't do better than this.
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
Rathbun is very convincing on Days Before and After...the melodies and judicious use of space is detectable on almost every track, and is reinforced by the smart structural features and fresh-faced lyricism of Rathbun's tunes...never results in muddy or meandering music
*** 1/2
DOWNBEAT
SCULPTURES
The development of Brooklyn-based tenorman Andrew Rathbun has been a story of successive small revelations. ... Altogether, this music cloaks subtle avant-garde proclivities in soft light and open air. Its compositionally ambitious, and marks a fine entry in Rathbun's –and Wheeler's–catalogs of exploration
JAZZTIMES
The New York based Canadian tenor and soprano saxophonist is serious about the difficult art of jazz composition...there is a breadth of instrumental tone skillfully deployed by Rathbun, and Wheeler's gorgeous, lyrically unfolding lines are the key, most beautifully on the first extended track "Nameless." Pieces often begin with solos, from which the theme itself gradually emerges; more lyrical longer compositions are broken up with brief, dissonant interludes to impressive effect.
THE WIRE (United Kingdom)
Sculptures finds Canadian Andrew Rathbun in the company of renowned trumpeter Kenny Wheeler. No newcomer to program-oriented work (see his previous discs) Rathbun continues to exhibit bold, imaginative musicianship on his fourth release, which plays out like an extended suite...he utilizes the fine players in his group to create a majestic yet subtle panorama of sounds and moods, some of which are entirely spontaneous. He also plays with tremendous flair and facility in both tenor and soprano
ALL MUSIC GUIDE
Toronto born saxophonist has issued a string of solid discs on the Fresh Sound label. On the latest, Sculptures, he led a fine band (including Kenny Wheeler) through a selection of ambitious, elegant originals. Definitely one to watch.
TIME OUT NEW YORK
TRUE STORIES
True Stories is a testament to fellow Canadian Margaret Atwood. For his third release, the artist demonstrates a keen and convincingly fresh compositional jazz-based approach, with lyricism amid blended horns, bustling yet often streamlined rhythmic developments, and heartfelt choruses by Rathbun
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
True Stories is unusual in its solo work and performances, this collection will capture any listener's attention. This is the most imaginative work to date from Rathbun, and he just keeps creating memorable jazz! He is a composer with a feel for fine jazz motifs, and True Stories is a fine collection. This is a very satisfying jazz CD, excellent in all ways
JAZZREVIEW
A dreamy but taut album...using Rathun's great talents.
JAZZIZ
An inventive album that is full of vocal and instrumental lyricism.
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Jazz defies structure, poetry can harness it. Putting the two together requires an adept mind, and articulate skill and the vision to encapsulate the body of one within the free form of the other. When Andrew Rathbun takes on the poetry of Margaret Atwood, he gives it a new, and deserving, testament. It all comes together quite nicely indeed.
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
True Stories is a fine work of jazz...Rathbun's setting of Atwood's word's to music is exquisite stuff.
AMERICAN REPORTER
JADE
Andrew Rathbun also uses poetry as a focal point on Jade, although he stretches a single work–"Lost Sister" by Cathy Song–across its entire length, surrounding it with a hard swinging orchestral warmth. There's velvety glow to the arrangements....
JAZZTIMES
SCATTER SOME STONES
...Andrew Rathbun makes his recording debut on this disc full of original compositions, introducing himself as a talented and contemplative musician and composer. Scatter Some Stones is a well conceived and ably delivered album with some strikingly imaginative solos.
JAZZTIMES
My impression of this album after the first listening was favorable. It wasn't however, until my second listening that the subtle and rich textures of Mr. Rathbun's compositions started to come into focus. Each successive listening throughout the album delivered greater degrees to clarity, detail and appreciation...(Rathbun) is in possession of a level of harmonic depth and sophistication that would normally be associated with an older and more mature musician....its refreshing to hear a "younger" musician who is ready as a player and composer for his first album as a leader...In all of his solos he sounds very deliberate; going to unexpected places, using well placed silences as part of the overall contour of his statements. This is a rewarding album. Seek it out.
JAZZ IMPROV
"...a beautiful work of art. Allowing for space the musicians work through some rather complex compositions. This is good stuff. He's got a great ear and knows how to pick his musicians. A solid addition to our jazz collection."
Scott H. Thompson, The Jazz Report
"From the first notes of this recording, you get a sense of warmth and beauty. It's nice to hear someone with such a deep concept of sound and composition."
Joe Lovano (from the liner notes of Scatter Some Stones)
LIVE PERFORMANCE/OTHER
Rathbun's playing is seamless. The horn lines shimmer in unison at times, and conversationally cadence at others.
UPI
Andrew Rathbun is an artist who takes chances with his recordings. You don't hear any paint-by-the-numbers jazz discs from him.
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
The "Power Politics Suite" was an ambitious, extended work that incorporates the politically charged, thought provoking verse of Canadian writer and poet Margaret Atwood.
Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes, Live Reviews
"Rathbun writes smart, harmony rich and melodically inventive big-band music, often working with literary texts..."
Ben Ratliff, New York Times
...Rathbun handles his horns well, never tumbling of the precipice of wildness however strong his seamless flurries of notes. He generates a warm sound and his ideas seem inexhaustible. The compositions are engaging, maintaining an essential balance between structure and performance, always brimful of momentum. This was demonstrated on the opening number that had him blowing long lines a la Wayne Shorter before being joined by both guitars for complex unison statements underpinned by the stuttering drum pulse.
THE TORONTO STAR
Andrew Rathburn has been establishing a reputation on a number of superb records for Spain’s Fresh Sound New Talent label—both as a writer of cerebral yet evocative compositions and an assured player whose strong technique never gets in the way of musical statements.
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
"Crisp execution, circumspect writing and wonderful and unexpected shifts in mood."
Bob Young, Boston Herald
"His playing has taken on depth and darker nuances since his excellent 1999 debut CD."
James Hale, DOWNBEAT
"He creates a majestic yet subtle panorama of sounds and moods, some of which are entirely spontaneous. He also plays with tremendous flair and facility on both tenor and soprano."
David Adler, All Music Guide
"His tunes carry themselves with natural melodic grace."
Mark Miller, The Globe and Mail, Toronto
"...superb tone, deliberate and thoughtful improvisations"
The Toronto Star
"Jade is a composer's disc * * *"
Jim Macnie, Village Voice
"....whose tenor sax features an attractive deep resonance that makes his exclamatory climbs that much more effective."
Bob Blumenthal, The Boston Globe
Wednesday 19 September 7:30 pm
Western Jazz Quartet
Dalton Center Recital Hall
Tickets $12 (Seniors $10, Students $5) available from Miller
Auditorium at (269) 387-2300 or (800) 228-9858 & at the door
Here is the link.
From the Scatter Some Stones photoshoot.
From the Scatter Some Stones photoshoot.
With the quintet at Birdland.
With the quintet at Birdland.
With the quintet at Birdland.
With the quintet at Birdland.
Here is the link.
Here is the link.