Chris Green Quartet
Boundary Issues Saxophonist Chris Greene, a fixture on the Chicago scene
dedicated to transcending the stylistic and structural borders of jazz,
continues to discover new musical territory on his new CD Boundary Issues. Set
for April 14 release on Single Malt Recordings, the album is Greene's eighth
with the long-standing quartet he formed in 2005 featuring pianist Damian
Espinosa, bassist Marc Piane, and, since 2011, drummer Steve Corley.
Joining the core quartet as guests on several tracks are
saxophonist Marqueal Jordan, known for his work with smooth jazz star Brian
Culbertson; percussionist JoVia Armstrong, who's played with Nicole Mitchell's
Black Earth Ensemble and JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound; guitarist Isaiah
Sharkey, a member of D'Angelo's band; and vocalist Julio Davis (aka DJ WLS).
Greene's eclectic song selection, inventive arrangements, and choice of guests
not normally associated with jazz perfectly coalesce to present a portrait of
an artist unafraid to take the road less traveled, push the envelope, and
explore the frontiers of jazz.
In addition to three originals, Boundary Issues includes
creative covers of works by Horace Silver ("Nica's Dream"), Kenny
Kirkland ("Dienda"), Yellowjackets ("Summer Song"), and
Billy Strayhorn ("Day Dream"). As his previous treatments of songs by
artists as diverse as Madonna, Coltrane, Sting, Mingus, and lounge music king
Martin Denny attest, Greene's naming his latest album Boundary Issues could be
viewed as a tongue-in-cheek self-diagnosis. "I have a hard time staying in
place," he confides. "I don't know my place, I guess, which is why
I'm always stepping outside so-called boundaries. With the music I like, I just
can't help thinking, what would it sound like if I did this, or this?" A
case in point is his spacious reggae version of Horace Silver's "Nica's
Dream." "I thought the biggest tribute to him would be to do
something different," says Greene. "The idea to cover that classic as
a reggae tune came to me while I was listening to music in the shower. It was
like, why not?"
Chris Greene Born in 1973 in Evanston, Illinois, Chris
Greene was exposed to a lot of music at home but only a smattering of jazz. His
mother blasted Motown at her monthly card parties while his father played a lot
of funk, soul, and disco; he absorbed all manner of pop styles watching MTV.
Taking up the sax at age 10, he began studying it seriously when he was 16,
"playing the hell out of a blues pentatonic scale," he recalls. He
mainly played alto in the well-regarded Evanston High School Wind & Jazz
Ensemble, as well as with local bands including a rock unit called Truth.
"They were into Sting and I was eager to be their Branford
[Marsalis]," he says. He would eventually play acid jazz with bands like
Liquid Soul and Ted Sirota's Heavyweight Dub Band.
Greene studied at Indiana University with the late David
Baker and the current jazz studies department chair Thomas Walsh. "It was
a great experience for me," he says. "I was a kid with a lot of
natural talent, but with a lack of discipline. I learned how to practice, how
to break things down, how to solve problems."
Upon his return to Chicago, he continued his education by
reaching out to established artists including Steve Coleman. "He was
hard-headed in his determination to play music his way," he says. "It
was a huge eye-opener for me how he put things together." Greene also got
a major boost from Coleman's legendary mentor, Chicago tenor legend Von
Freeman, at one of his famous jam sessions: "He didn't know me from Adam,
but he was very encouraging. He said, 'Hey, I hear what you're trying to do.
Keep at it.' That meant so much."
In 2005, Greene formed his current quartet. Whether the
group is hugging tradition or engaging in experimentation, it radiates a deep
sense of well-being. With each release, Greene has moved steadily from funk
mildly seasoned with jazz to uncompromising jazz boasting subtle funk touches.
As witness the title of the quartet's 2012 album, A Group Effort, Greene prizes
the band's ability to think and feel as one, to "leave fingerprints on
each other's playing."
The Chris Greene Quartet will be celebrating the release of
Boundary Issues at the following Midwest engagements: 4/21 Constellation,
Chicago; 4/28 Gibraltar, Milwaukee; 5/1 La Principal, Evanston, IL; 5/20 Winter's,
Chicago; 5/30 Promontory, Chicago; 6/9-10 Pete Miller's, Evanston, IL; 6/17
Noce Jazz, Des Moines; 6/18 Custer St. Festival of the Arts, Evanston; 7/5
Jazzin' at the Shedd (concert series at Shedd Aquarium, Chicago).
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