Chris Rottmayer finds inspiration in Paris and the music of Mulgrew Miller with the Woody Shaw Quintet on his new album of all-original compositions, Being.
Chris Rottmayer, a multifaceted jazz artist, composer and Lecturer of Music Theory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, presents Being as his fourth release as a bandleader, featuring an all-original program. 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 music is performed with Russ Johnson on trumpet and flugelhorn, Matt Endres on drums, and jazz luminary Rufus Reid on acoustic bass.
“Reid collaborated often with Miller,” says Rottmayer via an official press release, “and recording with Reid has helped me connect with Miller on a level deeper than I could through listening to recordings or through personal study.” Opening with the dynamic “On the Street Where Woody Lives,” 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.
Listen to “On the Street Where Woody Lives,” our Song of the Day, via the player below. Being, the latest album by Chris Rottmayer, is available now on Shifting Paradigm. Order it here.
Featured photo courtesy of the artist.
Like this article? Get more when you subscribe.