|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Troy Roberts set to release 12th leader album, Stuff I Heard, April 2020 TOY ROBOT MUSIC April 10, 2020 Troy Roberts Stuff I Heard Stuff I Heard (Toy Robot Music) - his 12th album as a leader - Roberts circles back to his beginnings with elements of both, the Troy Roberts Quartet and NU-JIVE, as well as film score-esque pieces compositionally reminiscent of his 2009 release, The XenDen Suite. But make no mistake, the result is conceptually unlike anything he has ever recorded. Whilst it's not common to display virtuosity, it's even rarer to be wonderfully creative while doing so. But the rarest of all gifts is to have a unique voice; a sound that is unmistakably your own, Troy Roberts has this gift. He amply demonstrates that it's possible to pay homage to the great tenor players of jazz and still create a fresh approach that leaves the listener always in anticipation of what he'll come up with next." - James Morrison There was never any question for saxophonist Troy Roberts that his imagination would only be matched by his energy and ambition to put forth meaningful music with its highest purpose of creativity. At the tender age of 15, he was accepted with exceptional entrance to the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. At age 19, Roberts had already graduated with a Bachelor of Music and quickly went on to earn his master's degree at The University of Miami. A semi-finalist in the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, his awards include 3 DownBeat SM Jazz Soloist Awards, 2 GRAMMY Nominations, and contributions to almost 50 recordings as a sideman. Roberts is a Vandoren endorsed artist who has performed and or recorded with jazz luminaries such as Joey DeFrancesco, Jeff' Tain' Watts, James Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Christian McBride, Sammy Figueroa, Orrin Evans, and Kurt Elling. Based in New York City, Roberts tours regularly with Joey DeFrancesco, Kurt Elling, and his ensembles NU-JIVE and the Troy Roberts Quartet. With the release of Stuff I Heard (Toy Robot Music) - his 12th album as a leader - Roberts circles back to his beginnings with elements of both, the Troy Roberts Quartet and NU-JIVE, as well as film score-esque pieces compositionally reminiscent of his 2009 release, The XenDen Suite. But make no mistake, the result is conceptually unlike anything he has ever recorded. The album features all original compositions with an element not yet showcased on Roberts' previous albums; the collection in nature is an ensemble album, only this time recorded with Roberts helming multiple soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, as well as acoustic and electric basses, along with longtime live performance compadre Jimmy MacBride on drums. The album is born from Roberts' continuous creative momentum; he explains, "My first compositional rule of thumb is to capture my ideas by singing them into my phone. Every so often, I transcribe and save them to a folder on my hard drive called 'Stuff I Heard' for later development. All my albums are essentially the fruits of these seeds". The album kicks off with "Little Room" – a tip of the hat to the compositional style of Johann Sebastian Bach, set to a Venezuelan Joropo rhythm. The two-part counterpoint between the electric bass and tenor saxophone gives the track a jaunty emotive. The bridge features layered voicings, which adds a nice textural variety. Roberts accompanies himself in this fashion throughout, utilizing multiple saxophones as harmonic support. MacBride's feel compliments the interweaving of each element, knitting together a cohesive sound. "Harry Brown", Troy's tribute to the movie character played by Michael Caine, opens with an acoustic bass solo, in which Roberts integrates double stops for added tension. The melody is presented with a modulating rhythmic figure underneath from the bass and drums. Roberts' solo is inspired, laying against the sonic treatment of his background writing, which is well-constructed both texturally and conceptually. "Lifeline" offers a cinematic aesthetic, with brilliantly orchestrated colors, adding depth to the overall program. Emulating a life support system, the single note ostinato theme moves through the composition and expands, adding a scintillating listen throughout. Furthering the orchestral mood, "Prayer of Hope" is a pensively gorgeous ballad that evolves in intensity and orchestration, before leading back to the melancholic prayer of the saxophone choir. On "Rejekt, " the mood is turned to a NU-JIVE perspective with all the trappings Roberts is well-known for. On this track, he is featured on electric bass in a funk-dripped groove that is deep-fried goodness. MacBride and Roberts lock tightly into a heavy groove. The writing is top shelf, the swinging ensemble shout chorus is thumping, and Roberts' solo is a flurry of searing notes and robust muscularity. "Hightail" is what is best about modern jazz. Roberts attacks the solo with aggressive sparks that ignite the melody with a fever. Once again, he evokes his pen to colorize with impressive backgrounds that add interest to the rhythmic ostinato pedal developed through the form. "Aeonian" is a reflective ballad that celebrates its namesake of everlasting and eternal immeasurability, its beauty resonates with perpetual refinement and grace. "Solar Panels" (a play on words in reference to Miles Davis', "Solar") lends way to a soprano saxophone and acoustic bass tutti melody. Roberts and MacBride set up a fluid swing that is built upon rhythm changes. On this tune, MacBride and Roberts are uniquely interactive, each creating commentary in a playful dialogue built upon a buoyant swing. The final track, "The Comedian, " closes the album with a cinematic theme, highlighting beautiful textures, moving, and flowing into each other. The track features multiple feels and sways with a beauty that poignantly revels in Roberts' powerful writing style. Troy Roberts never ceases to push his musical abilities to the next level of originality. Stuff I Heard takes this premise one step further, showcasing his versatility as an instrumentalist but, more importantly, as a composer of in-depth valuation. PLAYERS & INSTRUMENTS: TROY ROBERTS – soprano, alto & tenor saxophones, acoustic bass, electric bass JIMMY MACBRIDE – drums TRACKS AND TIMES: 1) LITTLE ROOM (5:58) 2) HARRY BROWN (8:36) 3) LIFELINE (6:32) 4) PRAYER OF HOPE (3:21) 5) REJEKT (5:40) 6) HIGHTAIL (7:40) 7) AEONIAN (6:08) 8) SOLAR PANELS (9:16) 9) THE COMEDIAN (7:10) **All Compositions by Troy Roberts write your comments about the article :: © 2020 Jazz News :: home page |