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| Drummer Aaron Comess Plans Two Jazz CD Releases For 2014 Respected jazz and rock drummer/multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer Aaron Comess has plans for two jazz CD releases for 2014 – and both albums will evolve from two distinct upcoming New York City concerts. On December 27th at The Blue Note, Comess will be joined by band members Teddy Kumpel on guitar and Richard Hammond on electric bass, both of whom appeared on his acclaimed 2011 release, 'Beautiful Mistake' – the trio are mid-way through recording a new instrumental album of Comess' original compositions, and are likely to premiere a track or two at this local concert, which marks Comess' first appearance at the legendary Blue Note. Comess' January 29th jazz quintet concert at Smoke Jazz in New York City will feature Keith Loftis on sax, Barney McAll on B3, Richard Hammond on upright bass, Teddy Kumpel on guitar, and Comess on drums. Comess has confirmed that the show will be recorded live, for an album to be released in 2014. Additional details regarding both upcoming jazz CDs will be announced in the months ahead. Comess, whose headlining appearances have been previewed in The NY Times, Modern Drummer and elsewhere, has long ties to jazz, and has played with such greats as Roy Hargrove, Brad Meldau, Robert Glasper, Bilal, Roswell Rudd, Arnie Lawrence, Deanna Kirk and more. The NY Times' Nate Chinen affirmed, "Comess has long been a jazz adept." As a member of the group New York Electric Piano (for the past 12 years, ) Comess and band-mates scored a Top 10 jazz album with their most recent CD. Comess is currently studying with legendary drum master Michael Carvin. In addition, Comess just appeared on legendary jazz trombonist's Roswell Rudd's record ...and played a sold-out concert with him at le poisson rouge (other noted musicians on the record and show were John Medeski, Steven Bernstein, Bob Dorough and Fay Victor). In the studio, and on the heels of collaborating on Joan Osborne's Grammy-nominated 'Bring it on Home, ' Comess has been recording drums on her new record, to be released in early 2014...He is also headed to Austin next month to finish up the Edie Brickell record he's been working on, with Charlie Sexton producing and playing guitar. Comess played a track on Garland Jeffries' latest record, and also recorded a new album in NYC at The Magic Shop with German superstar Marius Westerhagen, to be released in April, accompanied by a tour of Germany. He recorded for the "loop loft' which will be available in all guitar centers and on line on December 13: http://www.thelooploft.com/blogs/ryans-corner/8635137-spin-doctors-drummer-in-demand-nyc-session-drummer-aaron-comess-joins-the-loop-loft-artist-roster. Comess was a featured performer at the Montreal Drum Festival in November: http://montrealdrumfest.com/category/aaroncomess/ Comess was recently the featured guest and was interviewed by Liberty Devitto of Billy Joel fame, at a concert presented by Modern Drummer Magazine. Comess has had strong roots in jazz since his early musical life. As far back to the 1980s, he was Best Jazz Soloist for two consecutive years via Downbeat's High School Student Awards. Then, when attending arts magnet school in Dallas, jazz groups he played in won Best Big Band and Best Small Group for three years in a row. Comess went on to attend Berklee College of Music on scholarship, and then attended The New School Jazz Program in NYC. He comments: "I've always had a true love for listening to and playing jazz that has filtered in to all the work I have done since. I love playing songs just as much as I love to improvise, and the freedom that comes from playing jazz music is something I very much love to do." Aaron Comess also happens to be the drummer and a founding member of the multi-platinum-selling SPIN DOCTORS. The band recently released a new album of original Blues music, 'If the River Was Whiskey, ' which earned the best reviews of their career and was featured in such A-level outlets as CONAN (TBS-TV), USA Today, Elmore Magazine, M Music & Musicians Magazine, RELIX Magazine, NY Observer, Time Out NY and much more. Aaron Comess: Drummer/multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer Aaron Comess won wide acclaim for his powerful 2011 solo CD, 'Beautiful Mistake'. For Comess, who wrote and produced the album, 'Beautiful Mistake' marked an opportunity to step out of the shadows of his many notable collaborative efforts, and into the spotlight. He deftly created sweeping songs that were emotive without words, leaving his commanding drum work and the 'voice' of his band's electric guitar (Teddy Kumpel) and bass (Richard Hammond) to weave a dramatic soundscape. He is a musician's musician, long respected as a collaborator who has played on, co-written and/or produced over two hundred albums with an acclaimed and diverse roster of artists including Osborne, Edie Brickel, Isaac Hayes, Marc Cohn, Bilal, Rachael Yamagata, James Maddock, and more. Other upcoming and/or recent work includes Phil Ramone, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Malcolm Burn and Natasha Bedingfield. Comess is active in the local NYC rock, jazz, experimental music scenes and singer songwriter circuits, and records and produces at his 'His House Studio' in the East Village. As a member of the band New York Electric Piano, Comess recently had a Top 10 CD on the CMJ charts. Comess has successfully navigated the tricky music industry for over 20 years, managing to keep his original band (Spin Doctors) together, build an active career as a sideman/session player/producer, and make his own records as a composer/leader. With 'Beautiful Mistake', he shines as a songwriter and continues to distinguish himself. Visit Comess' eclectic Discography to get a sense of the wide range of projects he's been involved with over the years, from Chris Whitley's final album to Joan Osborne's 'Righteous Love' to a dozen releases as a member of Spin Doctors: http://www.aaroncomess.com/discography.htm write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Jazz News :: home page |