Drummer
and composer Jeff Ballard makes his long overdue, much anticipated debut as a
leader with the diverse and wide-ranging Time's Tales. A master of the trio
format who anchors the renowned Brad Mehldau trio and is one-third of the
inventive collective group FLY with Larry Grenadier and Mark Turner, Ballard
here documents his own longstanding trio with guitarist Lionel Loueke and
saxophonist Miguel Zenón.
With
sounds ranging from forward-looking modern jazz to traditional African and
Latin rhythms to heavy metal intensity, Time's Tales reflects the Jeff Ballard
Trio's adventurous, multi-faceted identity, which has been honed on stages
around the world since its formation in 2006. A landmark release in its own
right, the album also arrives just as Ballard is celebrating an important
benchmark in his own life, his 50th birthday.
"I'm
getting into the middle of my years. So I think recording this project, with
this band, makes a meaningful statement. It's a telling of my times up until
this point."
A
multi-faceted drummer with a keen interest in rhythms from Africa and Latin
America, Ballard could have found no better partners for this endeavor than the
Benin-born Loueke and Puerto Rico native Zenón. The two have imbibed the
rhythms of their homelands and incorporated them into their own expansive sonic
palettes, making them ideal foils for Ballard's polyrhythmic approach.
"It's
where we meet, for sure," Ballard says. "Their sophistication and
awareness of rhythm is so high. Lionel's listening to three different rhythms
at the same time; Miguel can hear everything. I pick up something melodically
from what they're playing and put it on the drums, and they do the
reverse."
Both of
Ballard's bandmates are among the most innovative and acclaimed musicians on
the scene today. Loueke was mentored by Herbie Hancock and Terence Blanchard,
and has worked with legends like Jack DeJohnette and Charlie Haden as well as
peers such as Gretchen Parlato, Esperanza Spalding, and Robert Glasper. Zenón
is a Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow who has forged a distinctive blend of jazz
and Latin American folkloric music. He's also a founding member of the SFJAZZ
Collective and has worked with the likes of Bobby Hutcherson, Fred Hersch,
David Sánchez, and Steve Coleman.
Born in
Newport Beach, California, Jeff Ballard moved to New York after a three-year
stint with the legendary Ray Charles, where he immediately began building a
diverse resume with artists including Lou Donaldson, Buddy Montgomery, Kurt
Rosenwinkel, and Mike Stern. In the late '90s he became a part of the Danilo
Pérez Trio and Chick Corea's New Trio and Origin, and later joined Joshua
Redman's groove-oriented Elastic Band. In 2003, Ballard formed the collective
trio FLY with Larry Grenadier and Mark Turner, which has since released three
critically acclaimed recordings.
Since
2005 he has been the drummer for the Brad Mehldau Trio, one of the most
renowned groups in modern jazz. In addition to his trio, Ballard leads the
ensemble Jeff Ballard Fairgrounds, which exists as a quintet featuring Eddie
Henderson, Kevin Hays, Jeff Parker and Grenadier, and as a quartet with Loueke,
pianist Tigran Hamasyan, and The Bad Plus bassist Reid Anderson on electronics.
No comments:
Post a Comment