Being - Releasing Friday March 8, Chris Rottmayer, Rufus Reid, Russ Johnson and Matt Endres

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Chris Rottmayer
Being

Street Date: March 8, 2024
Label: Shifting Paradigm

Being is jazz pianist Chris Rottmayer's fourth album release and contains all original compositions performed by his quartet. Joining Chris on this album are Russ Johnson on trumpet and flugelhorn, Matt Endres on drum set, and jazz master Rufus Reid on acoustic bass. Being will be released with a street date of March 8, 2024, on the Shifting Paradigm record label.
Chris Rottmayer - piano
Russ Johnson - trumpet and flugelhorn
Matt Endres - drum set
Rufus Reid - acoustic bass

EARLY REVIEWS:
His latest effort, Being, ups the ante by offering a collection of his own compositions, in this instance animated by his study of Mulgrew Miller's recordings with the Woody Shaw Quintet. Joined by the eminently capable Russ Johnson on trumpet, Rufus Reid on bass and Matthew Endres on drums, the results are an accomplished set of music, with a respectful nod to both Miller and Shaw that still bears Rottmayer's distinctive voice.
-All About Jazz, Troy Dostert

The album is a captivating fusion of inspirations, with half of its tracks drawing from the ambience of the city of Paris and the other half stemming from Rottmeyer's exploration of Mulgrew Miller's work with the Woody Shaw Quintet, delving into their harmonic and modal concepts. the album not only showcases virtuosic performances and impeccable chemistry shared among the musicians but also presents a notable contrafact of Shaw's "Green St. Caper, " itself a reinterpretation of the classic "On Green Dolphin Street, " offering an additional layer of artistic resonance.
-Matt Micucci, Jazziz Magazine

There is an elegance that emanates from his compositions, with warm melodies and surprising yet captivating rhythms. Undoubtedly, this attention to detail in the arrangements is a legacy of his work. I truly love the musical aesthetics of this album, with arrangements of such finesse that they elevate each individual note.
-Thierry De Clemensat, Paris Move

You can detect the passing of baton from teacher Mulgrew Miller on this release, as there is a rich mix of style and substance throughout.
-George Harris, JazzWeekly

Rottmayer is a freelance jazz artist, composer, and jazz educator who calls Madison, WI his home. Two of his previous releases, So in Love and Sunday at Pilars, both spent considerable time on the Jazzweek jazz albums chart, reached #1 on the Roots Music Report's jazz album chart, and Sunday at Pilars was the #1 overall jazz album on the RMR chart's 2021 year end jazz album chart. Besides his freelance jazz work, Rottmayer is also a Lecturer of Music Theory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Being is a collection of original music, written as part of a study of the jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller and his recordings with the Woody Shaw Quintet. Detailing the narrative, Rottmayer says "I transcribed Miller's playing and used his and Shaw's language as inspiration for the creative work behind Being. With the help of my mentors Peter Dominquez (Professor of Bass, UW-Madiosn) and Johannes Wallmann (Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Jazz Piano, UW-Madison) I was able to connect with Rufus Reid. Reid collaborated often with Miller, and recording with Reid has helped me to connect with Miller on a level deeper than I could through listening to recordings or through personal study."

Being contains five compositions that are part of the Miller study and five of Rottmayer's previously unrecorded originals written about the city of Paris. "On The Street Where Woody Lives" is a contrafact of a contrafact. Shaw wrote "Green St. Caper" as his own version of the standard "On Green Dolphin Street." Rottmayer's tune is inspired by Miller's language and Shaw's harmony. "Re-United" takes the Wayne Shorter tune "United, " famously recorded by Shaw and Miller, and places it in 4/4 time and with a new melody. Some formal elements are borrowed from Shaw's arrangement as well.

"Autumn Evening" is an homage to Miller's beautiful ballad playing. "Song of Modes" plays off of Shaw's "Song of Songs" and explores more of Miller and Shaw's modal and harmonic concepts. "Ballerina Dance" is inspired by Shaw's "Katerina Ballerina" and is evocative of the exotic nature of Miller and Shaw's harmony and modality during this period of the Shaw quintet.

The other five compositions are reflections of the city of Paris, France. "Pigalle" examines the famous former red-light district famous for its theater and entertainment. "Châtelet" attempts to recreate the chaotic nature of one of the busiest stations of the Paris Metro. "La Seizième" reflects the beautiful peaceful feeling of one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Paris, the 16th arrondissement. The beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower from the "Pont Neuf" was the impetus for the Rottmayer bossa nova of the same name. Finally, "Rue des Lombards" is one of the most famous streets for jazz music in Paris, home to several of the most famous French jazz clubs.
TRACKS:
1.On The Street Where Woody Lives 6:37
2.Re-United 8:35
3.Pigalle 9:36
4.Châtelet 5:14
5.Autumn Evening 8:19
6.Song of Modes 8:15
7.Ballerina Dance 10:56
8.La Seizième 4:41
9.Pont Neuf 6:46
10.Rue des Lombards 7:18
Run time: 76:22
All compositions by Chris Rottmayer, Rottmayer Music, ASCAP

PLAYERS, INSTRUMENT, TRACKS:
Chris Rottmayer - piano
Russ Johnson - trumpet and flugelhorn
Matt Endres - drum set
Rufus Reid - acoustic bass

Tracking and Mixing: Audrey Martinovich, Audio for the Arts, Madison, WI
Mastering: Justin Perkins, Mystery Room Mastering
Art: Zacc Harris, Shifting Paradigm records
Photography: Spencer Porter

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