Check out this Review of Fourthought's Album by writer Scott Yanow:
NICHOLAS BIELLO/MANUEL WEYAND QUARTET
FOURTHOUGHT
The four musicians on this excellent CD, altoist Nicholas Biello (who doubles on soprano), drummer Manuel Weyand, pianist Kerong Chok and bassist Cameron Kayne, are important young voices on the New York jazz scene. Coming from very different backgrounds (Weyand was born in Germany and Chok was a significant musician in his native Singapore), they have no difficulty communicating with each other on a set of explorative and dynamic post bop music.
The quartet, which is co-led by Biello and Weyand, perform four originals by the saxophonist, two by the drummer and “On Green Dolphin Street.” None of the new pieces are simply run throughs on familiar chord changes and even “On Green Dolphin Street” sounds much different than usual. The interplay between the musicians is as impressive as their high musicianship and, even with a few brief references to past masters, the music is modern and creative.
The program begins with “Laurceny,” a hard swinging straight ahead piece. Biello's passionate and advanced alto hints in spots at both Cannonball Adderley and Eric Dolphy while being quite original. Chok has a nice spot on piano and drummer Weyand is featured in a brief tradeoff and a concise solo. The jazz waltz “Rumi Native” is a thoughtful piece that is harmonically complex and would have been worthy of Wayne Shorter.
“Green Dolphin Street” is one of the most overplayed songs at jazz jam sessions. However this version, which has been modernized, is quite fresh. Biello takes apart the song with inventive and high-powered ideas while Weyand has an inventive drum solo over a catchy rhythmic pattern. “Intercession” is a ballad with solos by bassist Kayne, Chok and Biello on soprano that take their time and use space well. Its haunting theme deserves to be covered by other modern jazz musicians.
“Arrival,” which has Chok on electric piano, features a menacing feel to its rhythm and a passionate tradeoff by Biello and the keyboardist. After the intensity of “Arrival,” “A Change Of Heart” is a bit of a relief, a heartfelt ballad with melodic and soulful playing by altoist Biello. The closer, a version of “Amethyst” that was recorded live, builds from Chok's out-of-time free piano to evolving into a dense and exciting workout for the full quartet with Biello's soprano in the lead.
Fourthought is a highly recommended set of 21st century jazz that points the way towards the future of the music. This CD is an early milestone for each of its four musicians.
Scott Yanow, author of ten books including Trumpet Kings, The Jazz Singers, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1
visit http://www.fourthought.net for more information
You can buy our record through CD Baby:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/fourthought
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Fourthought Press Release
FOURTHOUGHT QUARTET
Debut at the Blue Note NYC
October 21st, 2010
Fourthought debuts at the famed New York City music venue, Blue Note, opening for multi-GRAMMY winner, Gary Burton. Presenting original compositions charged with immediacy, Fourthought will take the stage on Thursday, October 21st at 6:30 p.m. for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of jazz.
As part of the Blue Note Emerging Artist Series, the performance will feature co-leaders Nick Biello and Manuel Weyand on saxophone and drums, respectively, as well as pianist Kerong Chok and Cameron Kayne, bassist. Both Biello and Weyand combine to lend their considerable compositional talents, fueling the repertoire of Fourthought that ranges from gritty, no-holds-barred to dark, moody and cerebral. Purchase your tickets now! Tickets range from $20 to $30 and will provide access to Gary Burton’s 8:00pm set at no additional charge. To purchase tickets call 212-475-8592 or visit www.bluenotejazz.com
More About Fourthought
Fourthought is a young and dynamic New York City-based Jazz quartet, collaboratively lead by saxophonist Nick Biello and drummer Manuel Weyand. This classic instrumentation is propelled to new directions by its international cast of top-notch improvisers.
Every band member lends a personal and unique color to the sound of the ensemble, as they each hail from diverse places such as Singapore, Germany and New York City. Fourthought features fresh, original repertoire that is simultaneously true to the Jazz tradition.
Don't miss your chance to catch this exciting group that features some of New York's best emerging young talent! To purchase tickets call 212-475-8592 or visit www.bluenote.net
More About Blue Note
Since its inception in 1981, Blue Note has become one of the premier jazz clubs in the world and a cultural institution in Greenwich Village. Jazz is undoubtedly America's music, and while Blue Note strives to preserve the history of jazz, the club is a place where progression and innovation - the foundations of jazz - are encouraged and practiced on a nightly basis. In addition to the acts that feature the likes of Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano, John Scofield, and Chris Botti, Blue Note has introduced the Emerging Artist Series, designed to highlight new artists at the Blue Note as opening acts for jazz legends. The club receives rave reviews on a weekly basis in New York's daily newspapers such as The New York Times and in international travel guides and magazines. What makes Blue Note so special is that on a given night, anything can happen. After twenty-five years of success, Blue Note continues to carry the torch for jazz into the 21st century in the cultural heart of New York, Greenwich Village.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For further information about Fourthought, such as booking details, or to schedule an interview, please visit:
www.fourthought.net or send an email to fourthoughtjazz@gmail.com
Debut at the Blue Note NYC
October 21st, 2010
Fourthought debuts at the famed New York City music venue, Blue Note, opening for multi-GRAMMY winner, Gary Burton. Presenting original compositions charged with immediacy, Fourthought will take the stage on Thursday, October 21st at 6:30 p.m. for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of jazz.
As part of the Blue Note Emerging Artist Series, the performance will feature co-leaders Nick Biello and Manuel Weyand on saxophone and drums, respectively, as well as pianist Kerong Chok and Cameron Kayne, bassist. Both Biello and Weyand combine to lend their considerable compositional talents, fueling the repertoire of Fourthought that ranges from gritty, no-holds-barred to dark, moody and cerebral. Purchase your tickets now! Tickets range from $20 to $30 and will provide access to Gary Burton’s 8:00pm set at no additional charge. To purchase tickets call 212-475-8592 or visit www.bluenotejazz.com
More About Fourthought
Fourthought is a young and dynamic New York City-based Jazz quartet, collaboratively lead by saxophonist Nick Biello and drummer Manuel Weyand. This classic instrumentation is propelled to new directions by its international cast of top-notch improvisers.
Every band member lends a personal and unique color to the sound of the ensemble, as they each hail from diverse places such as Singapore, Germany and New York City. Fourthought features fresh, original repertoire that is simultaneously true to the Jazz tradition.
Don't miss your chance to catch this exciting group that features some of New York's best emerging young talent! To purchase tickets call 212-475-8592 or visit www.bluenote.net
More About Blue Note
Since its inception in 1981, Blue Note has become one of the premier jazz clubs in the world and a cultural institution in Greenwich Village. Jazz is undoubtedly America's music, and while Blue Note strives to preserve the history of jazz, the club is a place where progression and innovation - the foundations of jazz - are encouraged and practiced on a nightly basis. In addition to the acts that feature the likes of Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano, John Scofield, and Chris Botti, Blue Note has introduced the Emerging Artist Series, designed to highlight new artists at the Blue Note as opening acts for jazz legends. The club receives rave reviews on a weekly basis in New York's daily newspapers such as The New York Times and in international travel guides and magazines. What makes Blue Note so special is that on a given night, anything can happen. After twenty-five years of success, Blue Note continues to carry the torch for jazz into the 21st century in the cultural heart of New York, Greenwich Village.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For further information about Fourthought, such as booking details, or to schedule an interview, please visit:
www.fourthought.net or send an email to fourthoughtjazz@gmail.com
Thursday, February 4, 2010
FLY Trio Master Class at MSM 1/25/2010
Fairly regularly some outstanding musicians/bands come to the Jazz Department at the Manhattan School of Music to give master classes. It is one of the perks of being a graduate student there.
The Fly Trio gave such a great master class for us last week. I wanted to write a couple of paragraphs about it because it was so inspiring. The FLY Trio, in case you are not familiar with them, is comprised of Mark Turner on Tenor Sax, Larry Grenadier on Bass, and Jeff Ballard on Drums. Everyone of them is an authority on his respective instrument.
They started the master class by just playing a couple of tunes. The first tune they played was a Bud Powell composition called "The Fruit." This is not exactly the kind of tune that I expected them to start of with! Usually they play mostly original compositions. It was really eye opening to hear these great players interact in this lean and open environment of a chord-less trio. Larry really takes care of business! What I mean by this is that he really holds the ship together. I hear him at the center of the group.
What blew me away about these guys is how reserved and tasteful their playing as a trio is. Jeff has such great patience. There were plenty of opportunities for him to become the center of attention but he often plays very laid back and just lets the music bubble at a comfortable temperature. He never overplays and brings such an open feeling to the bandstand. The spots where he makes a statement are carefully chosen and are therefore even more effective. He provides such a great, wide and relaxed feel. I thought this was remarkable for a drummer in a trio setting. It is so easy to play a lot of comping ideas since there is so much open space due to the lack of a piano or guitar. As a matter of fact, I think that many of us drummers feel a strong need to fill that space because each musician is so exposed in a trio setting.
Another factor of course is volume. Jeff is always in such great control dynamically. The ensemble all together plays at a very moderate volume, which allows the music to breath better. Everybody can be heard and thus everyone is aware of what is happening.
It was abundantly clear that these guys think about all these things intensely once they started talking about their group.
Jeff mentioned Billy Higgins's wide beat as a great influence. They all stressed the importance of listening intently to the other people. Larry remarked that he only plays ideas in response or as a result of what he hears from his colleagues. He tries to never play something that he just thinks of on his own. This way he creates a coherent group sound.
These are just a few thoughts that stuck with me. They are really worth checking out if you are not familiar with them.
Here is a link to one of their performances at the Jazz Standard here in NYC from last week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTrEfOGJsR8
I highly recommend checking out Jeff's Modern Drummer interview. You can find it on his website I think. Just google him!
Enjoy!
The Fly Trio gave such a great master class for us last week. I wanted to write a couple of paragraphs about it because it was so inspiring. The FLY Trio, in case you are not familiar with them, is comprised of Mark Turner on Tenor Sax, Larry Grenadier on Bass, and Jeff Ballard on Drums. Everyone of them is an authority on his respective instrument.
They started the master class by just playing a couple of tunes. The first tune they played was a Bud Powell composition called "The Fruit." This is not exactly the kind of tune that I expected them to start of with! Usually they play mostly original compositions. It was really eye opening to hear these great players interact in this lean and open environment of a chord-less trio. Larry really takes care of business! What I mean by this is that he really holds the ship together. I hear him at the center of the group.
What blew me away about these guys is how reserved and tasteful their playing as a trio is. Jeff has such great patience. There were plenty of opportunities for him to become the center of attention but he often plays very laid back and just lets the music bubble at a comfortable temperature. He never overplays and brings such an open feeling to the bandstand. The spots where he makes a statement are carefully chosen and are therefore even more effective. He provides such a great, wide and relaxed feel. I thought this was remarkable for a drummer in a trio setting. It is so easy to play a lot of comping ideas since there is so much open space due to the lack of a piano or guitar. As a matter of fact, I think that many of us drummers feel a strong need to fill that space because each musician is so exposed in a trio setting.
Another factor of course is volume. Jeff is always in such great control dynamically. The ensemble all together plays at a very moderate volume, which allows the music to breath better. Everybody can be heard and thus everyone is aware of what is happening.
It was abundantly clear that these guys think about all these things intensely once they started talking about their group.
Jeff mentioned Billy Higgins's wide beat as a great influence. They all stressed the importance of listening intently to the other people. Larry remarked that he only plays ideas in response or as a result of what he hears from his colleagues. He tries to never play something that he just thinks of on his own. This way he creates a coherent group sound.
These are just a few thoughts that stuck with me. They are really worth checking out if you are not familiar with them.
Here is a link to one of their performances at the Jazz Standard here in NYC from last week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTrEfOGJsR8
I highly recommend checking out Jeff's Modern Drummer interview. You can find it on his website I think. Just google him!
Enjoy!
16th Note Accents as "Diddles"
Today I will add a new component to the 16th note accents.
Remember that you should thoroughly master the previous post first. It is crucial that your coordination between your limbs and between accented and unaccented notes is tight in order for these exercises to be beneficial.
This next one is really fun because it will quickly develop your double stroke rolls.
We will now substitute a double stroke (which are also called diddles) for every accented note.
This will allow you to focus very clearly on each double stroke, since you will only play one diddle per beat in the first 4 exercises. Allow yourself to take advantage of this by practicing these again with a metronome in a relaxed fashion with a focus on control.
A really neat thing about this little drill is that you will automatically learn all the different rolls such as five-stroke rolls, seven-stroke rolls, 9stroke rolls and so forth. You will also learn how to play ruffs automatically. It's all in there.
Have fun with it!
Remember that you should thoroughly master the previous post first. It is crucial that your coordination between your limbs and between accented and unaccented notes is tight in order for these exercises to be beneficial.
This next one is really fun because it will quickly develop your double stroke rolls.
We will now substitute a double stroke (which are also called diddles) for every accented note.
This will allow you to focus very clearly on each double stroke, since you will only play one diddle per beat in the first 4 exercises. Allow yourself to take advantage of this by practicing these again with a metronome in a relaxed fashion with a focus on control.
A really neat thing about this little drill is that you will automatically learn all the different rolls such as five-stroke rolls, seven-stroke rolls, 9stroke rolls and so forth. You will also learn how to play ruffs automatically. It's all in there.
Have fun with it!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Simple Accent Studies
I have been playing drums for quite some time now and through the years I have found simple and in my opinion very effective systems to improve my technique. I want to share some of these systems with you and find out if you find them helpful as well!
In order to gain good control over the drum set, one needs to spend a lot of time on conditioning your hands. I found accent studies to be extremely helpful for strengthening my hands.
Let's get started with a simple accent matrix over 16th notes. You should practice these accents in a hand to hand (RLRL) sticking and over a basic foot ostinato, such as quarter notes in the bass drum and 2,4 on the HI-Hat. Practice these exercises slowly and with a metronome. You should focus on being relaxed at all times. The goal is ultimate control, and not speed. The speed will come automatically once you master these drills!
It is crucial to focus intently on the dynamic levels between accented and unaccented notes. Try to imagine two horizontal lines above the snare drum. One about half-an-inch above the drum head, the other about six inches above the head. Then make sure that the tips of your sticks always go up to exactly the same height when they rebound from the head, half an inch for unaccented notes, six for accented once.
I find it helpful to think of pulling the stick out of the head after it fell onto drum, rather than hitting the stick down into the head. Thinking like that helps me to create a smoother and more fluid motion.
In order to gain good control over the drum set, one needs to spend a lot of time on conditioning your hands. I found accent studies to be extremely helpful for strengthening my hands.
Let's get started with a simple accent matrix over 16th notes. You should practice these accents in a hand to hand (RLRL) sticking and over a basic foot ostinato, such as quarter notes in the bass drum and 2,4 on the HI-Hat. Practice these exercises slowly and with a metronome. You should focus on being relaxed at all times. The goal is ultimate control, and not speed. The speed will come automatically once you master these drills!
It is crucial to focus intently on the dynamic levels between accented and unaccented notes. Try to imagine two horizontal lines above the snare drum. One about half-an-inch above the drum head, the other about six inches above the head. Then make sure that the tips of your sticks always go up to exactly the same height when they rebound from the head, half an inch for unaccented notes, six for accented once.
I find it helpful to think of pulling the stick out of the head after it fell onto drum, rather than hitting the stick down into the head. Thinking like that helps me to create a smoother and more fluid motion.
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