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Matchbox (Djikstra / Karayorgis / McBride / Newton): Matchbox (Driff Records)

Blending melodic strength with post-bop intensity, Boston area improvisers Jorrit Dijkstra on alto sax, lyricon & analog synth, Pandelis Karayorgis on piano, Nate McBride on bass and Curt Newton on drums present 10 exuberant and unique modern jazz compositions.
 

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Personnel:



Jorrit Dijkstra-alto saxophone, lyricon, analog synth

Pandelis Karayorgis-piano

Nate McBride-bass

Curt Newton-drums


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UPC: 616892329640

Label: Driff Records
Catalog ID: 1501
Squidco Product Code: 21418

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2015
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded at Wellspring Sound Studio, in Acton, Massachusetts on July 19th, 2014 by Eric Kilburn.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Labelmates Jorrit Dijkstra and Pandelis Karayorgis, who have been at the helm of Driff Records for a few years now, delight in creating structured improvisations that are challenging and demanding while still retaining a strong melodic foundation. In this respect they clearly owe a good deal to the inspiration of artists like Steve Lacy, to whom they've paid tribute on three records now with the group the Whammies (on their most recent release, see Stefan Wood's review). Here they are joined by bassist Nate McBride and drummer Curt Newton, both of whom Karayorgis has worked with extensively, and as a rhythm section open to fluidity while still remaining well-grounded in pulse and meter, they're hard to top. The results are impressive, with ten enjoyable vehicles for post-bop exploration.

Dijkstra is a dynamic voice on alto sax, as he amply demonstrates on the record's hard-charging opener, "Fourteen Squares," or later on the record, with "All For It," offering impassioned flurries of notes and incisive rhythmic conversation with Karayorgis. He also brings a sensitive temper to some of the less aggressive tracks, including the loping "Drooze," constructed around an almost danceable melody that Dijkstra establishes with grace and subtlety. Somewhat less effective are the tracks on which he plays something called a "lyricon," an electronic wind synthesizer that Dijkstra has been introducing into his music for some time-but here it tends more to distract than to complement the music. I could only detect it on a few of the tracks, however, and for the majority of the album Dijkstra sticks to the conventional alto, on which he definitely shines.

Pianist Karayorgis's debt to Monk has long been noted, and it's clearly evident here in his quirky melodic and off-center rhythmic imagination. But he's also got a much more powerfully percussive side to his playing-a bit of Cecil Taylor shines through on the suitably named "Entanglement," and it's a lot of fun to hear him roam the piano with cascading clusters of notes, as Dijkstra joins in enthusiastically, contributing to the surging power of the track.

As for McBride and Newton, they bear out the advantages of their frequent collaborations, as they are highly skilled in supporting these intricate compositions and keeping things just under control, even during the more adventurous moments on the record. This release is a very fine one, and more evidence that Driff is becoming a strong conduit for a terrific partnership of like-minded musicians."-Troy Dostert, Free Jazz Blog


Get additional information at Free Jazz Blog

Artist Biographies

"The music of saxophonist and composer Jorrit Dijkstra (Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1966) draws from the jazz tradition in spirit and sound, but has crossed stylistic and cultural borders in order to express a strong, evolving personal vision. He spent his formative years in Amsterdam's vibrant improvisation community playing jazz, free improvisation, and world music. Since moving to the United States in 2002, Dijkstra has deepened his affinity with the experimental forces of American music, while staying in touch with his Dutch musical roots. Jorrit works as a composer and is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music and a faculty member of the New England Conservatory in Boston.

Dijkstra's recent projects include The Whammies play the Music of Steve Lacy, with leading Chicago, Boston, and Amsterdam improvisers, and duos with drummer/composer John Hollenbeck and trombonist Jeb Bishop. In Boston he leads the free improvisation quartet BOLT. In his solo project, he incorporates an array of electronic effect devices to process his saxophone improvisations live on stage. Dijkstra's use of analog electronics - including the Lyricon, a vintage electronic wind instrument from the seventies - extends his already flexible saxophone style into an idiosyncratic mix of cool jazz, free improvisation, and electronic minimalism.

Jorrit's work as a composer balances between similar stylistic boundaries. Commissioned by the North Sea Jazz Festival 2009, Pillow Circles brings together eight top improvisers in a mesmerizing sound world filled with indie guitar-rock and free jazz influences. His ongoing project Music for Reeds and Electronics explores the sonic possibilities of reed and electronics players in different improvisation communities in North America and Europe. Dijkstra has received other commissions from the David Kweksilber Big Band, Tetzepi Big Band, Amstel Saxophone Quartet, Kaida Duo, Duo X, The Harvard Jazz Band, electric guitarist Wiek Hijmans, saxophonist Ties Mellema, and bass clarinetist Fie Schouten. His commissioned works often incorporate electronic soundtracks and various forms of improvisation. Dijkstra's work has won him a Fulbright grant and the prestigious Podium Prize for jazz musicians in the Netherlands.

Jorrit has released eighteen CDs as a leader, and has participated in projects ranging from Anthony Braxton's Ghost Trance and Guus Janssen's opera Noach to a rare live performance of Texas outsider musician Jandek. He studied improvisation and composition with Misha Mengelberg, Steve Coleman, Steve Lacy, Bob Brookmeyer and Lee Hyla. He is co-founder of the artist-run label Driff Records. Jorrit is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music and a faculty member of the New England Conservatory in Boston."

-Jorrit Dykstra Website (http://www.jorritdijkstra.com/)
3/25/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Pandelis Karayorgis is a Boston based jazz/improvised music pianist, composer and educator.

In the last twenty years mostly led or co-led numerous groups in performances at festivals and clubs in Europe and the United States and Canada. Recordings appear on labels such as Hat Art, HatOLOGY, Clean Feed, Not Two, Leo Records, Nuscope, Boxholder, Okkadisk, Cadence, Accurate, Leo Lab, Ayler and more recently on Driff Records, a new artist-run label co-founded by Pandelis Karayorgis and Jorrit Dijkstra.

Some of the most extensive recording/performing collaborations have been with Nate McBride, Curt Newton, Ken Vandermark, Mat Maneri, Guillermo Gregorio, Jorrit Dijkstra, Luther Gray, Jef Charland, Randy Peterson and Dave Rempis.Pandelis Karayorgis performed and recorded with Joe Maneri, Han Bennink, Mary Oliver, Jeb Bishop, Steve Swell, Frank Rosaly, Jason Roebke, Keefe Jackson, Tony Malaby, Michael Formanek, Forbes Graham, Matt Langley, Jeff Galindo, Taylor Ho Bynum, John Lockwood and Eric Rosenthal.

Also performed with Josh Abrams, Chad Taylor, Jason Adasciewicz, Jacob William, Laurence Cook, Eric Hofbauer, Jeff Parker, Tim Daisy, Jason Stein, Mike Reed, Josh Berman, Charles Waters, James Falzone, Nori Tanaka, Daniel Levin, Kresten Osgood, Jeff Platz and Charlie Kohlase.

Notable projects include The Pandelis Karayorgis Quintet, The Whammies, The Pandelis Karayorgis Trio (whose first trio CD "Heart And Sack" was featured on National Public Radio's program Fresh Air), the mi3, Construction Party, System of 5, the quartet Matchbox, the large group Bathysphere and more recently, the quintet Cutout.

Born in Athens, Greece in 1962, moved to Boston in 1985. Prior to that, studied piano and performed in various jazz groups in Athens while pursuing a degree in Economics. Earned BM and MM degrees in music from Boston's New England Conservatory while studying with Paul Bley, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, Dave Holland and Joe Maneri (composition). Studied and performed extensively Thelonious Monk's and Lennie Tristano's music and in 1991 compiled a collection of all of Monk's compositions."

-Pandelis Karayorgis Website (http://karayorgis.com/Pages/bio.html)
3/25/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Nate McBride, who was born in 1971, is a very versatile double-bassist and electric bassist, and has performed with such important musicians as Dennis Gonzalez, Pandelis Karayorgis, and Ken Vandermark. McBride is a Boston native, and recently relocated to Chicago, Illinois.

He has played in the groups: Bathysphere, Bridge 61, Dennis González Boston Project, Dull Thud Trio, FME, Jason Adasiewicz's Sun Rooms, Joe Morris Quartet, Joe Morris Trio, MI3, New Fracture Quartet, Pandelis Karayorgis Quintet, Pandelis Karayorgis Trio, Powerhouse Sound, Predella Group, Riot Trio, Spaceways Incorporated, The Engines, The Frame Quartet, The Whammies, Tripleplay, Wheelhouse"

-Nuscope, Discogs (http://nuscope.org/musicians/nate-mcbride/)
3/25/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"In 2008, Curt performed with the following:

the mi3 (w/ Pandelis Karayorgis, piano and Fender Rhodes; Nate McBride, bass)The Blooming (w/ Tom Hall, tenor saxophone; Jeff Song, cello and bass)Nate McBride Quartet (w/ Charlie Kohlhase, saxophones; Taylor Ho Bynum, brass; Nate McBride, bass)blues trio Middlewest (w/ Paul Trunnell and Bill Boehm, guitars and vocals)Dave Bryant QuartetKevin Frenette QuartetMetal and Glass Ensemblesubbing for The Blue Ribbons

Prior work includes: a long association with Chicago saxophonist and composer Ken Vandermark, dating back to 1986 and including four CDs; several years and three CDs with Joe Morris; a duo for Korean kayagum and chang-go with Jeff Song; and performances with musicians like sOo-Jung Kae, Jim Hobbs, Hans Poppel, Eric Hofbauer, Greg Kelley, Jorrit Dijkstra, Gabe Birnbaum, Jody Blackwell, The Poppies, Inner Beauty ....

Percussion Performances

"Curt Newton studied drum set with Bob Gullotti and has a Master of Music degree in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music. His musical influences and interests, in no particular order, have included Max Roach, Andrew Cyrille, Steve Shelly, Gerry Hemingway, Joey Baron, Paul Lovens, Bob Gullotti, Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Cecil Taylor, Son House, Captain Beefheart, Igor Stravinsky, Iannis Xenakis, Witold Lutoslawski, and the traditional music of Morocco, Ghana, Egypt, Turkey and Greece.

Curt has periodically developed a solo drumset repetoire, with original compositions, improvisations, and works for drumset by other composers. Select peformances include

an all-drumset concert with master drummers Alan Dawson and Bob Gullotti (1992)

world premiere of John Zorn's Hwang Chin Ee for two drumsets and narrator (New England Conservatory, 1996)

original transcription of Lutoslawski String Quartet for solo drumset (1997)

activating Chen Zhen's sculpture Jue Chang (50 Strokes to Each) at Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art (2002)

Chen Zhen's Jue Chang"

-Curt Newton Website (http://wap.curtnewton.com/more.html)
3/25/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Fourteen Squares 3:27

2. Drooze 5:58

3. Entanglement 4:04

4. Shards 6:03

5. Constellation 4:47

6. The Unheard 5:36

7. Outward On Pleasant Spheres 5:03

8. Start 5:26

9. All For It 5:40

10. Cluster Waltz 3:17

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Boston Area Improvisers
Quartet Recordings
Staff Picks & Recommended Items

Search for other titles on the label:
Driff Records.


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