Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Greg Ward: Stomping Off From Greenwood

8

Greg Ward: Stomping Off From Greenwood

By

Sign in to view read count
Greg Ward: Stomping Off From Greenwood
"Metropolis," the genre-shifting, stomping, opening track on alto saxophonist Greg Ward's acrobatic sophomore disc, introduces his electric jazz vision with a bristling and nervy rock 'n' roll verve. It's anchored by the sprawling kinetic energy of Chicago's tireless rhythm duo of drummer Quin Kirchner and bassist Matt Ulery, and the cutting clarity and dissonance of guitarists Matt Gold and Dave Miller.

With rhythmic atmospherics and reverberant dual six-string manipulations, Rogue Parade (the quintet's official tag) make gutsy Ward compositions like "Excerpt 1," the precariously grooved "The Contender," and "The Fourth Reverie" swell into their wildly eclectic, aggressive selves, highlighting Ward's fluid sense of melodic line and spacious, ensemble based, writing style. On "Let Him Live" Ward moves stealthily in and out of the mix, choosing instead for the song to become a pulsing see-saw creation—the rhythm section up one moment and the guitarists up the next, creating an oddly meditative, if not openly hypnotic effect.

Ulery opens the especially broad "Black Woods" with a nimble, rich pizzicato giving way to bowing as the track comes into being, seemingly from some astral plane only these players are keenly attuned to. Miller and Gold filigree in and around around Ward's ebullient solos or dance in tandem with the leader as Kirchner rumbles and rides completing the group synergy. At eleven minutes plus, "Pitch Black Promenade" is a vivid, vital montage, taking in all the musical and virtuoso elements presented before it then allowing them to weave and ramble, expand, and withdraw quietly. An effortlessly bright, inventive pop/rock take on "Stardust" of all things follows, before Ward closes out this totally engaging installment of his artistic growth with the glimmering translucence and melodic build of "Sundown."

Track Listing

Metropolis; Excerpt 1; The Contender; The Fourth Reverie; Let Him Live; Black Woods; Pitch Black Promenade; Stardust; Sundown.

Personnel

Greg Ward
saxophone

Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Matt Gold: guitar, effects; Dave Miller: guitar, effects; Matt Ulery: acoustic guitar, electric bass; Quin Kirchner, drums.

Album information

Title: Stomping Off From Greenwood | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Greenleaf Music

Comments

Tags

Concerts


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.