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| Releasing 10/13 - Denin Slage-Koch, It Comes in Waves (SK Records) It Comes in Waves is a celebration of the human experience, with all the highs, lows, joys, sorrows, pleasures, and pains that come with it. As guitarist, composer, and bandleader Denin Slage-Koch writes in the liner notes, "At the mercy of life's raging seas, the only power we have is our ability to love and show compassion to one another. This truth inspired the creation of this music, and it is my hope that all who hear it are inspired to love more deeply, listen more closely, and cherish everyone they meet exactly as they are." The record features eight new compositions by Slage-Koch and his arrangement of the Tears for Fears classic "Everybody Wants to Rule The World." Slage-Koch's music is colorful, evocative, and deeply personal, with inspirations as wide-ranging as jazz artists like Pat Metheny, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Emily Remler, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter and rock and indie icons like Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, Steve Vai, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin. The title track, "It Comes in Waves, " netted Slage-Koch a prestigious Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer's Award for 2023. On this release, Slage-Koch's guitar playing (called "pristine" and "a very personal voice deserving of attention of its own") is at times both virtuosic and subtle, displaying impressive technical ability that Slage-Koch reserves only for moments when it is musically necessary. It varies from straight-ahead and fluid on tracks like "The Road Home" and "One for Honey" to raucous and soaring on "Signal Fires" and "Continue." For this project, Slage-Koch assembled a cast of musicians that includes internationally-renowned artists and professionals from the Denver metropolitan area (where he lived before moving to Knoxville to teach jazz guitar at the University of Tennessee) Trombonist Ryan Keberle (David Bowie, Sufjan Stevens, Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue, Ryan Keberle and Catharsis) was one of Denin's first jazz influences and has mentored Denin since he was an undergraduate student at Whitworth University. Of participating in this project, Keberle writes "Without exception, my favorite type of music is the kind that forces me, the listener, to lean in, to follow the musical story, to fully experience the highs and the lows, the louds and softs, the dissonance and consonance, the tension and release, as the drama unfolds from start to finish. And, it is my experience that, more often than not, the artists who create this type of music share this same deep, visceral connection to music. Having known Denin for many years now and having witnessed his development as a guitarist, composer, educator, and, most importantly, an artist, it was a pleasure to be a part of this recording and help bring his music to life. I can say without a doubt that Denin has tapped into the visceral power of music as exemplified in his masterful compositions and guitar playing and I am excited for you, the listener, to fully experience his beautiful music." Trumpeter Shane Endsley (Kneebody) completes the front line alongside Slage-Koch and Keberle, and clarinetist Jared Cathey adds his talents on the brooding "The Cost of Apathy." The rhythm section contains pianist Gavin Allen-Dunn, bassist Seth Lewis, and drummer Bobby Wiens, all Denver musicians with whom Slage-Koch has played with regularly for the past several years. Of these musicians, Slage-Koch says "While the bandleader or soloists often receive the most praise and recognition, it is the rhythm section that makes the music magical and memorable on the best recordings. I am so very fortunate to have world-class musicians in my band, and they each made important and wonderful contributions to this record." This project is funded in part by the Pathways to Jazz grant, a donor-advised fund of the Boulder County Arts Alliance, and the Weld Community Foundation. As a guitarist, Slage-Koch's accolades include multiple Downbeat Student Music Awards, a 2022 Pathways to Jazz grant award, and performances at venues including the national Jazz Education Network conference, Vail Jazz, the Eduardo Brito National Theater in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Boettcher Concert Hall, Five Points Jazz Festival, and Dazzle Denver, among many others. His third album, It Comes in Waves, featuring trombonist Ryan Keberle and trumpeter Shane Endsley, will be released in October 2023. His two previous releases, re: manhattan project and Temporary Songs have both received critical acclaim and consistent airplay. Slage-Koch is frequently in-demand as a composer and arranger for artists and ensembles across the United States. In 2023, he received an Herb Alpert Young Composer's award for his piece "It Comes in Waves, " and in 2022 his composition "One for Honey" was recognized as an honorable mention at the Ithaca College Jazz Composition Contest against entries from 15 countries. Slage-Koch has written and arranged for artists including Kurt Rosenwinkel, Melissa Aldana, Carmen Bradford, and the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra, among others, and maintains a consistent workload of commissions. Slage-Koch holds a Doctor of Arts in Jazz Studies from the University of Northern Colorado and has also received a Master of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies from Whitworth University. He has over a decade of experience as an educator. Slage-Koch's major teachers include many of the greatest musicians and educators in the world, including Kurt Rosenwinkel, Gary Versace, Steve Kovalcheck, Bob Sneider, Dave Rivello, Bill Dobbins, Dan Keberle and Brent Edstrom. His music draws influence from a wide range of artists, including Pat Metheny, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Emily Remler, Wes Montgomery, Radiohead, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and more. TRACKS, TIMES, COMPOSER: 1. It Comes in Waves (Denin Slage-Koch), 6:26 2.The Road Home (Denin Slage-Koch), 8:22 3.One for Honey (Denin Slage-Koch), 5:33 4.The Cost of Apathy (Denin Slage-Koch), 6:56 5.Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears, arranged by Denin Slage-Koch), 5:39 6.Continue (Denin Slage-Koch), 6:53 7.Signal Fires (Denin Slage-Koch), 5:04 8.The Philosopher (for Wayne Shorter) (Denin Slage-Koch), 7:04 9.Quiet Year (12/31/2020) (Denin Slage-Koch), 5:14 PLAYERS, INSTRUMENT: Denin Slage-Koch (Dehn-in Slay-je Cook) - electric and acoustic guitars Ryan Keberle (Keh-bur-lee) - trombone Jared Cathey (Cah-thee) - clarinet Shane Endsley - trumpet and flugelhorn Gavin Allen-Dunn - keyboards Seth Lewis - bass Bobby Wiens (Weans) - drums and percussion write your comments about the article :: © 2023 Jazz News :: home page |