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Allaboutjazz.com "Publishers
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July 2000 Allaboutjazz.com
By Glenn Astarita
Bassist David Phillips and
his band, "Freedance" turn in a mighty fine showing on this new "NAXOS"
release! Basically, the band gets out of the gate in a flurry on the
opener, "Eastern Peace" as they surge onward with ominous yet at times
breezy themes while Phillips and drummer Tony Moreno provide the monstrous
underpinnings. Here, electric guitarist Rez Abbasi illuminates the proceedings
with commanding presence due to his signature style attack which features
a touch of electronic distortion, a subliminal C&W style Ð twang and
angular, soul searching lines. On this piece, saxophonist John O' Gallagher
introduces himself with poise and ferocity as the band coalesces with
force and determination amid highly charged unison choruses.
Throughout, the band's heavy
handed approach might suggest warriors ready for battle; however, they
frequently touch upon ethereal or mystical themes as they often counterbalance
the overall sense of the dynamic. - Phillips booming acoustic bass is
captured in magnificent fashion on pieces such as the classic, "You
and the Night and the Music" and Phillips' "Pops and Poppies" which
compliments his deft, articulate plucking and generally resonant and
altogether cavernous sound.
The band drives home some
funk-rock riffs on the peppery "Soul Food" as Abbasi accelerates the
tempo and puts matters into overdrive with blistering leads yet O' Gallagher
and Abbasi proceed to alter the tone and pulse of this piece with jazzy
motifs and Far East style modalities. No doubt, there's a whole lot
going on here as burgeoning, impacting rhythms and fiery performances
from the lead soloists wreak Ð disciplined - havoc yet this recipe for
success also includes gobs of melody, exciting unison choruses and sharp
arrangements. Recommended!
* * * * (out of * * * * *)
.............................................
Freedance is bassist and
leader David Phillips, saxophonist John O'Gallagher, drummer Tony Moreno,
and the vastly underrated guitarist Rez Abbasi. Aside from brooding,
unusual readings of "You and the Night and the Music" and "In a Sentimental
Mood," all the tracks on this excellent debut album are originals. Phillips
wrote the majority; Abbasi contributed the offbeat "New Esthetic" and
the intense 5/4 vehicle "Creating Destiny," while Moreno penned the
rhythmically enchanting "Paper Spoons."
The music reveals a wide
array of influences, from the ECM-flavored lilt of "Rezolution" and
"Spiritual" to the driving funk of "Soul Food." Rich sonic contrasts
abound - many provided by Abbasi's guitar, which calls to mind Bill
Frisell, Ben Monder, and even a touch of Mike Stern. On "New Esthetic,"
"Rezolution," and "Spiritual," Abbasi plays acoustic, providing one
of the album's most beautiful textures. His solo sound on "Eastern Peace"
and "Paper Spoons" is clean and trebly yet warm; on "Soul Food" and
"Creating Destiny" it is overdriven and wild, with no loss of clarity.
O'Gallagher, delivers strong yet understated solos, focusing on melody
to a greater extent than many contemporary young saxophonists. Phillips
reserves two tracks as unaccompanied bass solos: the virtuosic arco
feature "Pops and Poppies" and the poetic pizzicato "Valerina." Moreno
locks in perfectly with Phillips throughout, serving each composition
selflessly.
How unfortunate that this
music, which was recorded in 1995, had to wait five years before being
released. But with this strong disc as its calling card, the group should
be able to forge ahead and produce more excellent work. ~ David R. Adler
.............................................
Jazzreview.com
Featured Artist: David Phillips & Freedance
CD Title: Naxos Jazz Year: 2000 Record Label: HNH International Ltd.
Style: Contemporary Jazz Musicians: David Phillips (bass), Rez Abbasi
(guitars), John O'Gallagher (saxophone), Tony Moreno (drums ,percussion)
Review: Naxos Jazz is a promising CD that maintains a no holds bar on
creativity throughout the entire collection of melodies. The cut "New
Esthetic" is a mellow yet up beat smooth piece that frees the musical
mind. The melodic compositions are simply astounding! As in the wonderful
cut "Resoultion" it is like opening all the doors and windows to your
musical soul. You will be captivated by "Creating Destiny" a collective
harmony driven piece that pulsates with purpose and energy! Unequivocally
David Phillips & Freedance have produced a winner, making this one of
the most refreshing jazz CD's out there! Record Label Website: http://www.hnh.com
Reviewed by: Trisha Weatherspoon
.............................................
Concert Review
Allaboutjazz.com
Freedance David Phillips & Freedance
Cornelia Street Café August 25, 2000
By David R. Adler
David Phillips & Freedance
may have assembled at Cornelia Street CafZ to celebrate the release
of their debut CD on the Naxos label, but they were already playing
new music. Attracting a big crowd for such a small space, the group
was fired up. On a funky chart called "Thread," bassist and leader Phillips
displayed his arco chops Ñ possibly the best in the business Ñ before
guitarist Rez Abbasi and alto saxophonist John O'Gallagher took their
turns stretching out over the open-ended pulse. Drummer Tony Moreno
would often raise his arms portentously to separate rhythmic phrases
and ideas, emphasizing with an organic, physical motion the interior
spaces within the music, the in-between moments that guide thought into
action. The group continued with the mellower "Annabella" and then a
7/4 piece called "Tribute to Stu" (written for drummer Stu Martin).
Once again, Abbasi and O'Gallagher stretched, Abbasi with a distortion
box this time. Phillips took a pizzicato solo, setting up a natural
segue into "Spiritual," also in 7/4, the one piece of the set drawn
from the album. Abbasi again changed the mood by playing a Guild Songbird
acoustic guitar. Finally, "Spilled Milk," a folky waltz that somehow
brought Charlie Haden to mind, closed the set.
Whether live or in the studio,
Freedance is an exceptionally cohesive unit, a band with a purpose.
Much of this superior music will appear on their next album, so keep
an eye out for it.
.............................................
Allaboutjazz.com(Italy)
Vittorio Lo Conte
This album was recorded in
1995 and only now has managed to find Mike Nock and Naxos Jazz who made
it's publication possible. Maybe this is a sign of the current situation
in jazz; the music of David Phillips, son of the illustrious Barre Phillips,
reminds one of Eric Dolphy - somewhere between mainstream and free -
and probably this fact did not make it appetizing for many producers.
It's not mainstream in a traditional sense, but it's not "free" either,
however one wants to interpret that term. there's nothing new about
many musicians taking their inspiration from more successful colleagues
on the market, thereby opening up the doors to clones (it was that way
in the past as well, however).
Freedance avoids these classifications
and takes risks, taking the listener to different places, from New York
to Bombay, touching down on two famous standards.
Besides these aspects of
the group's music, the most striking thing is the technical prowess
and collective interaction, that keeps the music always full of surprises
and free to move in various directions. Obviously, there is a strict
jazz background in the musician's phrasing and improvisation, but the
four of them stay away from the obvious cliches, without straying from
the original keys.
In synthesis, an important
album for the contemporary music scene; the listeners need only sit
back and let themselves be surprised. Who knows if this group will return
to the studio or if we'll have the chance to hear them live. The high
level of technical expertise and the creative approach to playing the
compositions (the standards are fabulous, and the other pieces are no
less so) would merit a greater audience for this group, over and above
the current situation in the recording/organazational market. Art, in
the long run, transcends certain boundaries. Four litle known musicians
create an important album. Rating: * * * * *
.............................................
The Jazz Journal
Sept 2000
"A must for any collection"
.............................................
Citizen Jazz.com
Nicolas Fevre
Il est des naissances qui
conditionnent votre vie. C'est le cas du contrebassiste David Phillips.
Fils du contrebassiste Barre Phillips, David a indéniablement
assimilé la musique de son pére. On retrouve dans cet
opus les influences et les conceptions musicales d'Ornette Coleman,
Paul Bley ou bien encore John Surman, compositeurs qui ont bercé
son enfance. Freedance est ^ l'origine un ensemble basé uniquement
sur la collaboration de ses musiciens, méme si aujourd'hui, le
contrebassiste fait figure de leader. L'identité de Freedance
trouve son achévement dans la liberté donnée ^
chaque musicien de suivre sa propre orientation musicale. Il en résulte
un climat envoétant et lancinant insufflé par un drive
énergique et parfois minimaliste qui laisse la place ^ une créativité
sans limites.
LA Weekly
Pick of the week November 1, 2002
David Phillips & Freedance
at Rocco.
Nothing but intelligent,
melodic modern improvisational music here.
Freedance are four New York-based guys who like to keep things quiet
and
open. John Abercrombie blurbed their CD - he surely heard his delicate,
ringing influence on guitarist Rez Abbasi. Drummer Tony Moreno specializes
in minimalistic swing. Bassist Phillips (playing California for the
first
time since he left the Bay Area in 1980) writes most of the original
lines,
which often leak minor-key sob thanks to his travels in Eastern Europe,
but
he throws 'em open for group sculpting, so the result is unusually holistic.
Anaheim-born, Berklee-trained saxist John O'Gallagher has one of those
rosebud tones combining softness and sharp definition; if you want to
know
what happened to the legacy of early Ornette Coleman, ask him about
his CD
with his quartet Axiom. Also at LACMA tomorrow, Nov. 1, at 5:30 p.m.
(Greg
Burk)
.............................................
Bass Player Magazine Jan.
2003
By Ed Friedland
David Phillips and freedance
David Phillips has no doubt inherited his forward leaning tendencies
from his dad, bassist Barre Phillips. Freedance is a modernist collaborative
group that pulls no punches. The music borders on wack at times, but
always with a sense of purpose, interesting harmonic textures, tight
interplay and solid, thoughtful playing by the younger Phillips make
this a worthy listen for fans of out-there jazz.
.............................................
Denver Post
Feb. 16, 2003
bret saunders' column
Hip-hop, other music genres making way into jazz fold
By Bret Saunders, Denver Post Jazz Columnist
Something's happening in
jazz that's encouraging. Musicians are bringing disparate elements into
the mix that aren't traditionally associated with the music.
Dave Phillips, a New York
bassist, is happy to see so much musical cross-pollination. After a
decade of working in the shadows of the improvised music scene, he and
his group Freedance - scheduled to perform in Denver on Saturday - are
ready for their commercial and critical due.
Phillips has been an advocate
of breaking down the barriers of the more established styles of jazz
since he arrived in Manhattan in the musically conservative mid-'80s.
Phillips describes Freedance
as "a modern collaborative group that deals with those elements
of traditional jazz, but there's world music in there, too. Growing
up, one of my biggest influences was (world jazz fusion group) Oregon.
Before the Berlin Wall came down, I toured with a folk group in places
like Yugoslavia, and discovered that the odd meter stuff, the mixed
time signatures, swings so hard."
The group's straight-ahead
jazz playing coheres well with the exotic tempos, and Phillips composes
sophisticated themes that allow for plenty of invention within the quartet.
Guitarist Rez Abbasi, who plays with considerable flash, saxophonist
John O'Gallagher and drummer Tony Moreno have been together since the
band's inception, an impressive feat considering the economics of keeping
a group like this together.
Fans of progressive bass
playing may be familiar with Phillips' father, Barre Phillips, who made
a number of striking recordings that fused European and American music
for the ECM label in the '70s, and remains active today. Did Dave's
innovative dad help steer him toward a life with the instrument?
"I'd have to say yes,
but he only gave me one bass lesson. When I was 18, he put a bass in
my hand, and said, 'This is F major ... hit it!' There has to be some
genetic thing in me," he laughs.
......................................................
All About Jazz.com
Dave Phillips and Freedance "Prayer"
April 17, 2003 Pick Of The Week
By Glenn Astarita
Bassist Dave Phillips leads his quartet through a loosely climactic
venture throughout these nine works. The album title provides a speck
of information about the band’s mode of execution. Phillips and
company are in no great rush to get to the point, evidenced on pieces
such as “Window” and “Prayer,” where the band
pursues staggered swing grooves and whispery choruses. Electric guitarist
Rez Abbasi’s dark toned lines serve as a near perfect foil for
alto saxophonist John O’ Gallagher’s feathery choruses.
The lead soloists share sentiments via intuitive dialogues atop the
often-swirling rhythmic foundations laid down by Phillips and drummer
Tony Moreno. The band pulls into overdrive on “Tribute To Stu,”
featuring Phillips’ booming ostinato lines and the soloists’
complexly woven unison parts. Yet one of the key ingredients of this
affair is the quartet’s acute utilization of space. To that end,
the musicians project an open-air soundscape. In addition, the glistening
sonic qualities of this recording act as an enhancer of sorts - especially
noticeable on the final piece, “Incarnation” – where
Abbasi uses his sitar guitar to great effect! Recommended...
