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| John O'Gallagher's Axiom - CD Release Events in New York Philadelphia A distinctive and fresh new voice on the modern jazz scene, saxophonist John O’Gallagher brings a strong composer’s sensibility to bear on Line of Sight (Fresh Sound Recordings, rel. date February 15), his second recording with his Axiom quartet, featuring tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby, bassist John Hebert and drummer Jeff Williams. Melding a kind of classical aesthetic with a daring, wide-open approach on original pieces like “Cubist,” “Unmode,” “Revolving Doors” and “Effluence,” O’Gallagher achieves an organic balance between intricate interplay and free improvisation on this ambitious offering. In March, John O’Gallagher’s Axiom will perform together at two events to celebrate the release of Line Of Sight on Tuesday, March 15 at Jazz Standard in New York City, a double-bill with the Andrew Rathbun/Owen Howard Quartet; and on Sunday, March 20 at World Café Live in Philadelphia, PA. “I’ve always been interested in composing,” says O’Gallagher, whose writing is characterized by an underlying logic while also allowing for a sense of exploration and abandon by the soloists. “But more than that, I’m really intrigued by the whole process of searching and believing that there’s these hidden truths that are out there and that you have to look for them.” One of the signatures of O’Gallagher’s Axiom quartet is the near-telepathic blend between alto and tenor saxes, perhaps best exemplified by the dreamy rubato ballad “Leona,” the stirring “DNA,” with its dramatic use of space, and the frantic call-and-response workout “Revolving Doors,” where O’Gallagher and Malaby play off each other in bristling fashion on alto and tenor saxes while also overdubbing soprano sax to create thick interlocking textures that help shape the harmonic contour of the piece. Drummer Jeff Williams adds a deft, melodic touch behind the kit throughout Line of Sight. Rounding out the Axiom lineup is New Orleans-born bassist John Hebert. A ubiquitous figure on the downtown music scene in recent years, Hebert is a key figure in the Axiom game plan, providing an anchor with drummer Williams while also playing important counterpoint against the interlocking lines of Malaby and O’Gallagher. Hebert is also a formidable soloist, as he shows on “Effluence” and “Cascade.” The members of Axiom have been refining this rare chemistry since 2002, when O’Gallagher formed the group to explore his compositions. “It really just clicked when we first started playing,” he says. “And a lot of times we’d just play free or we would play some tunes that I’d been working on, and every time we’d get together and start rehearsing and playing, it inspired me to keep trying to develop that.” O’Gallagher’s other recordings as a leader include 2002’s Axiom (CIMP), which featured this same lineup, 2003’s Abacus (Arabesque) featuring guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Johannes Weidenmueller, pianist Russ Lossing and drummer Jeff Hirshfield, and two open-ended trio recordings from 2004 entitled Rules of Invisibility Vols. 1 and 2 (CIMP), featuring drummer Jay Rosen and bassist Masa Kamaguchi. Each represents a different vehicle for the saxophonist-composer-leader. Born in Anaheim, California, O’Gallagher began studying classical saxophone literature at age 13 in Spokane, Washington. “I started taking private lessons when I was in 10th grade,” he recalls. “My saxophone teacher got me studying classical saxophone literature very early on. Meanwhile, I was listening to some jazz on the radio but I didn’t really know the names of the players. And then I came across an album, which was a saxophone summit at the Montreux Jazz Festival featuring (alto saxophonists) Arthur Blythe, Phil Woods and Paquito D’Rivera. That was the first jazz record I ever bought.” After immersing himself in the music of Cannonball Adderley, John went back and began investigating Charlie Parker’s music. Following two years of college in Spokane, Washington, John enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. It was there that he became immersed in the music of John Coltrane and was also introduced to the music of alto saxophonist and jazz revolutionary Ornette Coleman. “I didn’t really get Ornette at first,” he says. “Obviously for a pretty young kid, that music can be kind of mind-blowing. I was more influenced by Coltrane at that point and was also listening to Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson. Those were my first big influences at Berklee. I was always more influenced by tenor players than alto players. It wasn’t until I moved to New York in 1988 that I began listening to more alto players like Jackie McLean and Lou Donaldson and Lee Konitz.” Aside from leading his own quartet and quintet, O’Gallagher is also a member of the Brooklyn Sax Quartet, whose upcoming debut on Omnitone is Far Side of Here. He has been featured in the big bands of Joe Henderson and Maria Schneider as well as Kenny Wheeler’s Large Ensemble, Roberta Picket’s Quartet, Ron Horton’s Sextet, the Bob Belden Ensemble and Dave Phillips’ Freedance. He also appears on trumpeter Russ Johnson’s upcoming Omnitone release, Save Big, featuring bassist Kermit Driscoll and drummer Mark Ferber. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |