Tom Tallitsch - All Together Now

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:25
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Passages
(3:24)  2. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
(5:07)  3. Slippery Rock
(4:47)  4. Big Sky
(5:58)  5. Border Crossing
(4:16)  6. Curmudgeon
(3:40)  7. Uncle Remus
(4:41)  8. Medicine Man
(5:15)  9. Greasy over Easy
(5:07) 10. Dunes
(5:35) 11. Arches

All Together Now the sixth overall effort from tenor saxophonist Tom Tallitsch, and his third for the Posi-tone imprint is a well-balanced musical affair built around a surefooted and wholly capable sextet. Tallitsch works with a rhythm section and two other horns here, creating smart and uncluttered settings that showcase the musicians without boxing them in. He works various stylistic angles into his compositions, touching on myriad moods in the process. There's a driving tune that vacillates between swing and Latin feels ("Passages"), an up-tempo burner ("Border Crossing"), a soulful twist on a Frank Zappa number ("Uncle Remus"), a truncated take on a classic from The Band ("The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"), and a loping swing jaunt ("Greasy Over Easy"). In each of the aforementioned instances, and elsewhere on the album, Tallitsch manages to include some simple yet effective arranger's touches harmonized horns here, background riffs there, shifting textures, and more while stilling retaining the vibe of a solos-for-everyone session. And with the string of solos on the album opener, he makes it clear that there will be room to blow on this one. Each and every piece gives pause to admire different soloists and/or musical relationships. One number might bring to light the differences and similarities between Tallitsch's tenor approach and Mike DiRubbo's alto work ("Slippery Rock"), another may see pianist/organist Brian Charette ripping through the music while tossing out a choice quote ("Border Crossing"), and a third may find bassist Peter Brendler and Charette working in a reflective space ("Arches"). And that's just a brief sampling of what happens in each of those pieces. The bigger picture in each number is about the balance between personalized expression and group dynamics, as All Together Now speaks to Tallitsch's talents as player and writer, the individual viewpoints of his band mates, and the collective spirit that comes through in these performances. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/all-together-now-tom-tallitsch-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Tom Tallitsch: tenor saxophone; Michael Dease: trombone; Peter Brendler: bass; Mike DiRubbo: alto saxophone; Brian Charette: piano; Mark Ferber: drums.

All Together Now

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Tom Tallitsch - Gratitude

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:05
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:59)  1. Terrain
(5:16)  2. Kindred Spirit
(5:36)  3. Gold Dust Women
(5:00)  4. Refuge
(4:42)  5. Northeast
(7:30)  6. Alternate Side
(4:47)  7. Because
(6:00)  8. Rust Belt
(4:38)  9. Gratitude
(6:26) 10. Oblivion
(6:06) 11. Thank You

Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch shares his feelings with an abiding sense of " Gratitude" on his fourth release for Posi-Tone. Joining Tallitsch on the date is the wonderfully solid rhythm section of pianist Jon Davis, bassist Peter Brendler, and drummer Rudy Royston. Special guest and fellow label mate Brian Charette drops in to add some additional organ flavor to two tracks.  Gratitude features an exciting program of original compositions, along with Tom's new arrangements of a few classics, and the whole session swings quickly into action and shines with bright moments. As both a saxophonist and a band leader, Tallitsch has clearly shifted his musical vibrations onto another level and this set of stunning performances should encourage jazz enthusiasts to Tallitsch's musical message of "Gratitude" with amazement and delight. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Tom-Tallitsch/dp/B01BX7UU1W

Personnel:  Tom Tallitsch - tenor sax;  Jon Davis - piano;  Peter Brendler -bass;  Rudy Royston - drums;  Brian Charette - organ on 3 & 11

Gratitude

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Tom Tallitsch - Ride

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:41
Size: 136,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. Ride
(3:19)  2. Life On Mars
(3:57)  3. Rubbernecker
(4:35)  4. Rain
(5:33)  5. The Giving Tree
(3:45)  6. Ten Years Gone
(6:16)  7. El Luchador
(7:19)  8. The Myth
(6:08)  9. Knuckle Dragger
(5:35) 10. The Path
(6:09) 11. Turtle

Tenor saxophonist Tom Tallitsch has been on a roll lately. He’s been writing some of the most memorable tunes in jazz over the last couple of years. His latest album, Ride, is streaming at Spotify; tomorrow night, Feb 20 he’s at the Garage (99 7th Ave. South, 1 to Christopher St/Sheridan Square). for happy hour starting at 6 PM, leading a quartet with Jordan Piper on piano, Ariel De La Portilla on bass and Paul Wells on drums. Then next month, on March 27 at 8 PM Tallitsch leads a monstrously good sextet including Mike DiRubbo, David Gibson, Brian Charette, Peter Brendler and Mark Ferber at Victor Baker Guitars, 38-01 23rd Ave, Astoria (N/Q to Ditmars) for a live youtube broadcast. The band on the album is just as good. Art Hirahara is one of the most instantly recognizable pianists in jazz right now, drawing on styles as diverse as the neoromantics, Asian folk and funk. Bassist Peter Brendler continues to build a resume of some of the best recording dates and groups in New York in recent years. Trombonist Michael Dease is another in-demand guy, with nuance to match raw power; drummer Rudy Royston has finally been getting long-deserved critical props, and pushes this date along with characteristic wit and thrill-ride intensity. The album’s title track kicks it off, a brisk, edgy Frank Foster-esque shuffle with some tumbling around from the rhythm section, an expansively uneasy Tallitsch solo echoed by Hirahara followed by a machinegunning Royston Rumble. Rubbernecker, a caffeinated highway theme with subtle tempo shifts, moves up to a spiral staircase sprint from Hirahara. Rain, a plaintive pastoral jazz waltz, is anchored by Hirahara’s sober gospel chords and Royston’s stern cymbals. The Giving Tree, another brisk shuffle, works a vampy, nebulously funk-influenced tune a lot of 70s and 80s fusion bands were shooting for something like this but couldn’t stay within themselves enough to pull it off. The Myth, a rippling, lickety-split piano-fueled shuffle, is sort of a more uneasy, modal take on a similar theme. El Luchador, a wry, tongue-in-cheek Mexican cha-cha, gets some surprisingly pensive rapidfiring sax that Dease follows with a hair-trigger response once he’s finally given the chance.  Dease fuels the droll Knuckle Dragger with an infusion of wide-eyed cat-ate-the-canary blues. The somewhat ironically titled The Path is the album’s most challenging, labyrinthine track, but Royston keeps it on the rails. The album winds up with Turtle and its kinetically romping mashup of latin-inflected drive and moody modalities. There are also two stunningly successful rock instrumentals here. The band does Life On Mars as straight-up, no-BS art-rock anthem Tallitsch’s wistful timbre nails the bittersweetness of the Bowie original. Led Zep’s Ten Years Gone rises with majestic twin horn harmonies from Tallitsch and Dease while the rhythm is totally straight-up, it’s closer to jazz than the Bowie cover. https://newyorkmusicdaily.wordpress.com/tag/tom-tallitsch-ride/

Personnel:  Tom Tallitsch - tenor sax;  Michael Dease - trombone;  Art Hirahara - piano;  Peter Brendler - bass;  Rudy Royston - drums

Ride

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Tom Tallitsch - Heads Or Tales

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:51
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Coming Around
(6:20)  2. Tenderfoot
(6:02)  3. Double Shot
(5:31)  4. Perry's Place
(5:15)  5. Flat Stanley
(5:58)  6. Travel Companion
(5:17)  7. The Lummox
(6:45)  8. Dunes
(3:20)  9. Don't Let It Bring You Down

Lots of sharp changes here deft tenor work from Tom Tallitsch, really cooking strongly alongside the Hammond of Jared Gold! Gold's fast becoming one of our favorite contemporary players on his instrument  and for this sweet little set, he brings out a lot of Larry Young-like lines arcing and curving with an angular feel that's really great and setting fire to Tom's tenor nicely, as it runs alongside the organ with a Joe Henderson sort of vibe. Guitar is from Dave Allen, drums from Mark Ferber, and titles include "Tenderfoot", "Coming Around", "Double Shot", "Flat Stanley", "Travel Companion", and "Dunes".  https://www.dustygroove.com/item/619310

Personnel:  Tom Tallitsch - tenor saxophone;  Dave Allen – guitar;  Jared Gold – organ;  Mark Ferber - drums

Heads Or Tales

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