Fred+hess

Fred Hess - Extended Family (2002) {Tapestry 76004-2}
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© 2002 Tapestry | 76004-2
Jazz / Modern Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

Saxophonist/educator Fred Hess resides in Colorado and has been the recipient of the national Julius Hemphill Award for Jazz Composition, amid recording stints with jazz-rock drummer Ginger Baker and others. With this effort, Hess leads a quartet of like-minded modern jazz notables through a compact, yet loosely organized set, consisting of off-kilter bop motifs and free-form exercises. One of the more notable characteristics of this affair has to do with Hess and trumpeter Paul Smoker's warmly executed unison choruses. The soloists converge for a sequence of punchy arrangements while also veering off into explorative-type dialogues.

Fred Hess - The Long and Short of It (2004) {Tapestry 76006-2}
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© 2004 Tapestry | 76006-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

The single most striking difference between Fred Hess' latest recording and all of his earlier efforts is the relaxed and joyful feel of the music contained herein. Tyranny to form, an element of Hess' recordings that has caught too much of my attention in the past, is gone, amended by said relaxation and joy. This unassuming release documents a substantial step forward in the realization, if not the compositional understanding of Hess' music by other players. He has chosen an outstanding and simpatico group of musicians to share in his musical vision, and that is a big part of the overall genius of this music. Each participant brings a lot to the table.

Fred Hess - Single Moment (2008) {Alison SR 115}
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© 2008 Alison / FHMusic | SR 115
Jazz / Post Bop / Contemporary Jazz / Saxophone

Tenor saxophonist Fred Hess blew off on a free tangent in 2002 with Exposed (CIMP Records), employing an Ornette Coleman style quartet containing two horns, bass and drums. He followed up on that approach with three excellent Tapestry Records discs, Extended Family (2003), The Long and Short of It (2004), and Crossed Paths (2005), with the latter pair cementing the Ken Filiano (bass), Ron Miles (trumpet) and Matt Wilson (drums) line-up that has carried over to Hess' more recent quintet albums, How 'Bout Now (Tapestry, 2006) and In the Grotto (Alison Records, 2007).

Fred Hess - In The Grotto (2007) {Alison SR 114}
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© 2007 Alison / FHMusic | SR 114
Jazz / Post Bop / Contemporary Jazz / Saxophone

Fred Hess is one of those artists who managed to carve out their own style and characteristic voice within jazz. His albums are carefully composed but keep the lightness and freedom of free jazz. The compositions themselves are always creative, with lots of twists and turns, tempo changes, rhythm changes, new themes coming in, moods shifting, and it's hard not be kept captivated by what's going on : you get surprises and new vistas after every new bend in the road. Hess is also totally underrated as a musician : his sax playing is very rich and varied.

Fred Hess - Crossed Paths (2005) {Tapestry 76007-2}
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© 2005 Tapestry | 76007-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

Due to the similar instrumentation and the free jazz originals by Fred Hess, the quartet on Crossed Paths is a bit reminiscent of Ornette Coleman's early groups. As with Ornette, the mood of the songs serves as the basis for the improvising rather than any set chord patterns. What is different is that Fred Hess is an expressive tenor-saxophonist with his own style (rather than copying Coleman or Dewey Redman) and trumpeter Ron Miles is also quite individual, having more technique than Don Cherry. With bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Matt Wilson contributing stimulating support and interaction, Hess and Miles are both heard in top form, whether blending in ensembles or making individual statements in this explorative but very coherent outing.

Fred Hess - How 'Bout Now (2006) {Tapestry 76009-2}
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© 2006 Tapestry | 76009-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

For his 11th album as a leader, Denver-based tenorist Fred Hess employed the same excellent sidemen as on his previous two well-received recordings-Ken Filiano on bass, Matt Wilson on drums and Ron Miles on cornet (instead of his usual trumpet), with longtime colleague Mark Harris added on alto. And once again the leader, who holds a doctorate in composition, wrote all the pieces (certainly not “tunes”). Indeed, the emphasis is on Hess’ sophisticated writing, complemented by well-integrated improvisations.

Fred Hess - Exposed (2001) {CIMP Records CIMP #249}
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© 2001 Creative Improvised Music Projects | CIMP #249
Jazz / Modern Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Saxophone

It was a good, even brilliant, idea to bring Hess together with new musicians to try something a little different than what he usually does. The Denver saxophonist has recorded only occasionally, but sometimes brilliantly, with his local small jazz combos, and this recording brings him into a new world entirely. For this outing, producer Robert Rusch presided over an all-star, hard-hitting collective featuring some all-star names from the CIMP roster. They perform seven snaky compositions by Hess with generally good results, although considering the talent, there is a sense that they do not always fulfill expectations.

Ginger Baker and the DJQ20 - Coward Of The County (1999) {Atlantic 7567-83168-2}
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© 1999 Atlantic / WEA | 7567-83168-2
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Postbebop / Fusion / Drums / Saxophone

Ginger Baker's taken the long road to a position at the height of the jazz drums family. He spent half a decade playing jazz in England before making it very, very big with Cream. Then he nearly vanished, playing drums all the while but without the fan base Cream afforded him. Then came his two head-turning jazz trio CDs Going Back Home and Falling Off the Roof, both of which featured the bass and guitar of Charlie Haden and Bill Frisell, and which won accolades and more. Following those outings is this collection from Baker's Denver Quintet to Octet (or DJQ2O), which employs a host of the finest jazzers from Colorado's biggest city. Saxophonist Fred Hess and trumpeter Ron Miles are the best known of the bunch, but the entire band plays strong postbop. The group can vamp in a minor key with strong feeling, and it can get ferociously gritty, as on "Daylight," which gets drenched in distorted electric and pedal steel guitars at once. This is a jazz ensemble that should be on the road constantly, playing to ravaged crowds; its members are talented in every way.