Bob Reynolds - Somewhere in Between

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:25
Size: 137,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. Creep
(5:30)  2. Feedback
(5:25)  3. The Beginning
(4:16)  4. Holocene
(5:18)  5. What She Didn't Say
(7:01)  6. Rise and Fall
(4:50)  7. A Love Story (In Three Cities)
(4:52)  8. Everlong
(5:55)  9. Phalanx
(5:31) 10. Closer
(5:19) 11. 622 (Bonus Track)

As a saxophonist, Bob Reynolds has worked with a diverse array of artists in both pop (John Mayer, Michael Buble, Usher, Amos Lee, Jessica Simpson, Willie Nelson, Guy Sebastian) and jazz (Richard Bona, Tom Harrell, Brian Blade, Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, Gregory Hutchinson). Reynolds is also an award-winning composer with 4 albums of original material and 4 ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Awards to his credit. He graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music and currently lives in Los Angeles.It's been nearly one year since we went into the studio to record this album. It's been nearly two years since I began talking with   Matt Pierson (Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau) about what this album would be.It's been even longer since I began jotting down configurations for who might play this music, what songs would go on this album, and what the overall concept would be. Longer still since some of these tunes were born.I knew it was going to be a great album; I got the best people for the job. I naively thought this might be the record that caught the attention of a Blue Note, Nonesuch or Concord Records. 

Not because one needs a record label to release music these days. Anybody can put their music on iTunes. All my records are available online. But if you want to reach a wider audience, get promotion, tour effectively, and make more records, you need help. Or you need to be independently wealthy.I discovered jazz during the height of the young lion era. Wynton Marsalis paved the way in the '80s; Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove and Christian McBride carried the torch in the 90's, and for awhile, every decent jazz musician in New York was putting out records for a label and touring.Those days are gone.But there's a big upside: I get to make whatever music I want with whomever I choose. You can't get dropped when you've never been picked up.My style doesn't fit neatly into a category like acoustic, straight-ahead, mainstream, contemporary or–God-forbid–smooth jazz, so it's a blessing I don't have to make music to please a particular record label.I don't have anyone telling me to make radio edits, use certain "marquee" players, what tunes to play, or that I'd sell more tickets/albums if I just wore leather pants and walked through the audience playing my sax high above my head.That is something to be grateful for.I'm also very grateful there are people in the world who dig my music. And thanks to technology, we're able to communicate directly.

I'm beyond grateful to find myself in such talented company. To have musical friends and compatriots who not only understand my vision, but bring such life, intensity, and personality to it. Does it take longer to produce and manufacture high-quality albums on your own? Yes. Will that prevent me from doing it? No. I only wish I could increase the pace of my output (hence the lament for a label [read: bank]). People love to talk about how "easy and cheap" making music is thanks to laptops, home recording software and the web, but the fact is it costs considerable sums to hire the best musicians, engineers and studios. You can buy tools and materials at Home Depot, but does that mean you should build your own house? Anyway, there's a track below in the YouTube media box we are all very excited about. I hope it makes you smile. http://www.jazzreview.com/jazz-spotlights/somewhere-in-between-by-bob-reynolds.html

Personnel: Bob Reynolds - tenor, soprano saxes; Eric Harland - drums; Janek Gwizdala - bass; Oli Rockberger - piano, keyboards; John Shannon - guitar; Bashiri Johnson - percussion with special guests John Mayer - guitar, lap steel guitar (2, 3)
Aaron Parks - piano (1, 3, 5)

Somewhere in Between

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Doug Webb - The Message

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:12
Size: 142,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:55) 1. Caught In The Webb
(5:17) 2. Nekide
(5:28) 3. The Message
(4:49) 4. I Was Doing Alright
(4:59) 5. Frustration
(4:26) 6. Doug's Dilemma
(4:53) 7. Keeping Up With The Joneses
(6:14) 8. New Beginning
(4:36) 9. Baubles, Bangles & Beads
(8:35) 10. Where Did You Come From?
(6:54) 11. Bonnie Lass

Tenor saxophonist Doug Webb may have played more gigs than anyone, claiming to never have turned one down. He continues to be the go-to saxophonist on the Los Angeles film and television scene with over 30 years in the business, and over 500 recordings. (One publication claims that he has appeared on over one thousand records). He’s also one of the longest-tenured artists on the Posi-Tone label, retuning with The Message, his eleventh album. While most of his recordings are in a quartet configuration, here he returns to the triple saxophone lineup of his acclaimed 2015 Triple Play, albeit with a mostly different lineup which includes Greg Osby on alto, Bob Reynolds on tenor, Charles Ruggiero on drums, and returning anchor Brian Charette on organ.

While the lineup would at first glance suggest an all-out blowing session, the date is centered in a more disciplined way around the compositions, bringing more ensemble passages like a big band than a series of lengthy solos or heated exchanges. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of spirit at play in these mostly up-tempo renderings of mostly original material. In fact, while Webb contributes just one, Reynolds offers two with Osby and Charette contributing one each, as well as Webb’s frequent collaborator, Randy Aldcroft, who doesn’t play on the album, authoring three. That leaves just three covers, the title track, Gershwin’s “I Was Doing Alright,” and “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads.” The session invariably swings into hard bop and slight hints of soul-jazz with Charette being the linchpin on bass pedals, textured and nuance comping, concise chords to push the soloists, and his own economical statements.

They open with Webb’s “Caught in the Web” with the three saxophonists making rapid, rousing runs in just a few choruses each. There’s a clear emphasis on getting in out strong entries, focused improvisations, and precise handoffs to the next. Osby’s’ mid-tempo “Nekide” has the composer blowing fiercely before while the other group members join intermittently just to encourage him to go further. Eventually, the tenors get their say, joining in for an eventual explosive climax. The melodic title track follows as the horns mix ensemble parts with energetic individual statements. Charette’s organ and Ruggiero’s pulsating drumming steer the group deftly through changes like those heard on the title track. Charette sets up the mid-tempo Gershwin swinger “I Was Doing Alright” with Webb leading first to snappy snare work from Ruggiero and Osby and Reynolds follow as does Charette with his first solo opportunity.

We next have four consecutive originals, beginning with Reynolds’ “Frustration,” which opens at a blistering pace, settling in somewhat for his tenor solo before passing the baton to Osby’s frenetic cluster of notes and finally to Webb, who like, Reynolds settles it somewhat until Charrette takes up a notch in this turn as all go out with choruses of drum rolls on the eights. “Doug’s Dilemma” is the first of the three Aldcroft compositions, and we can breathe a little as Webb and company deliver the first ballad. The sound of the tenor and organ in unison on the melody is an interesting touch, just another example of how Webb deftly navigates various tempos and brings fresh perspectives to the material. “Keeping Up with the Joneses’ is taken at a steady pace although the title may suggest a brisker one. It’s another swinger. Charrette seems anxious to move into the soul-jazz mode, taking that tact with his solo and carrying the latter half of the tune in that direction. Finally, the highly melodic “New Beginning” is another mid-tempo swinger with concise statements from each front liner and Charette.

“Baubles, Bangles & Beads” is from the 1953 musical Kismet and is most often associated with Frank Sinatra. The quintet puts plenty of juice into this rendition, a feature for Charette, with each stating the theme beautifully to the abrupt close. Reynolds’ “Where Did You Come From” weighs in as the longest rack at eight and half minutes, giving each a chance to stretch at a relaxed pace. As he consistently does, Osby bursts in with a flurry of energy that lifts up the subsequent flights of each soloist. When one threatens to go to stratospheric levels, it almost seems like Webb acts as a conductor, cutting off ideas then offering something else, without any hint of disengagement or loss of continuity. Charette has the closer, “Bonnie’s Lass,” so organ centric that it conjures slight strains of soul-jazz but blossoms into one where the horns take their customary inspired flights.

One gets the impression that Webb could play virtually anything. His career reflects it and this album echoes strains that we’ve heard in jazz for the past six decades or more. These players know how to get in and get out, holding little back, saying tons with just a few impassioned choruses on most of the tracks in this joyous session. https://glidemagazine.com/273671/veteran-saxophonist-doug-webb-goes-all-out-with-bop-soul-jazz-mission-via-the-message-album-review%EF%BF%BC/

Personnel: Doug Webb - tenor saxophone; Greg Osby - alto saxophone; Bob Reynolds - tenor saxophone; Brian Charette - organ; Charles Ruggiero - drums

The Message

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Bob Reynolds - Guitar Band

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:56
Size: 162.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[ 6:39] 1. Unlucky
[10:24] 2. Blues For Charlie
[15:52] 3. Crush
[12:13] 4. Mulholland
[12:39] 5. Down South
[13:06] 6. Can't Wait For Perfect

Bob Reynolds — tenor saxophone; Nir Felder — electric guitar; Mark Lettieri — electric guitar; Kaveh Rastegar — electric bass guitar; Robert “Sput” Searight — drums. Recorded live at The Blue Whale, Los Angeles, CA, on January 21, 2016.

This record happened by accident.

I had a night booked at The Blue Whale—a killer jazz club in Los Angeles—but hadn’t yet selected a band. While touring with Snarky Puppy, I got talking with Mark and Sput about NAMM (a music convention held each January, south of Los Angeles). They were both going to be in town for it so I asked them to join me at the Whale. Then I asked Kaveh (bassist in Kneebody, among other bands). We'd performed together recently and I was looking for an excuse to play again. Then I found out Nir (who I'd been playing with for awhile) was going to be in town from New York. Perfect! This was my chance to experiment with a two-guitar band.

Ever since playing in John Mayer’s band, I’d wanted to lead a guitar-based group. John had three guitarists (including himself) in his touring band. This meant a lush cushion of guitar-y goodness enveloped every solo I played. Imagine the best mattress and pillow combination you’ve ever experienced. It feels like that. But of course, it’s not just the guitar. It’s the player.

Excited by the idea of this group, I decided to borrow a page from the Snarky Puppy playbook and film it. There was one catch: we had no time to rehearse, and barely a sound check. I’d played with each of these guys in different scenarios, but never as a unit. So we set up in a circle, surrounded by an audience and five cameras, and played these tunes together for the first time. No pressure! I thought we might get two or three good videos out of it. We got more. Alex Chaloff and his team captured not only gorgeous video but stunning audio. When I heard the result I realized this needed to be its own album. So here it is. Live. Raw. Filled with an energy that comes only from tight-rope walking in front of an audience. My younger self would hear only the “mistakes.” My current-age-self hears the magic. I hope you hear it, too. ~Bob Reynolds

Guitar Band mc
Guitar Band zippy

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Bob Reynolds - Hindsight

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:24
Size: 92.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:35] 1. Ready, Set
[7:07] 2. Step Aside
[7:52] 3. When It's Over
[5:24] 4. Swedish Blues
[4:15] 5. Fight Or Flight
[7:03] 6. Silver Lining
[5:06] 7. Late In The Game

I’m excited to release my latest album, Hindsight. It features 3 of my favorite musicians—Aaron Goldberg (piano), Reuben Rogers (bass), and Obed Calvaire (drums)—on 7 original songs.

Bob Reynolds is an impressive tenor-saxophonist with an original tone who has gained fame for his work with Snarky Puppy and John Mayer. Hindsight is his seventh CD as a leader and his first studio album leading a classic jazz quartet.

Reynolds was born in Morristown, New Jersey and spent much of his childhood growing up in Jacksonville, Florida. While he was originally interested in film music and becoming a director, once he started playing the alto sax in junior high school (three years later switching to tenor), he became devoted to becoming a musician. Reynolds gained experience playing with much older musicians in the Beaches Preservation Swing Band, worked locally, and earned a degree from Berklee where he had influential lessons from Hal Crook and George Garzone. After moving to New York he performed in a wide variety of styles with many groups including five years with singer-songwriter Jonah Smith and six on which he toured the world with John Mayer. Bob Reynolds, who moved to Los Angeles in 2008, has in recent years been playing, touring and recording with Snarky Puppy; he is featured on We Like It Here.

“My agenda for the CD,” says the saxophonist, “was to use a traditional tenor-piano-acoustic bass-drums quartet and create some unexpected colors and sounds. I sought to create the illusion that this is a larger band than it actually is, as if there were (sometimes) a vocalist and a soloist.” The music on Hindsight was recorded a few years ago. “We recorded too much material,” he admits, “and these performances were put aside until I recently rediscovered them and immediately knew they had to be released.”

Hindsight

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