Colin Stranahan Quintet

Colin Stranahan is here to revolutionize the jazz world, and he's not taking no for an answer. He's young (19), he's cool, he's fresh, he's new, and above all, he's a badass. Exactly what jazz needs. It became apparent to Colin's family that he very well may have a career in music approximately around the age of three, when he would dress up in a tiny tuxedo, grab a stick, and stand at the front of the stage of the park orchestra his father played saxophone in and conduct along with the actual band leader. This little tike was adorable, intense, charming and determined: the stuff good musicians are made of. Eventually, a copy of Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" found it's way into his hands, he picked up a pair of drums sticks, and a full-blown obsession was born. Encouraged by his father and teachers, Colin became a child prodigy of sorts, both with being a wicked good drummer, and displaying a growing talent for composition. Eventually Colin found his way to arts high school, continued to polish his chops, and released a record of classic jazz covers and his original songs on Capri Records at the tender age of 17. Upon graduating High School, Colin had played with the likes of Pat Bianchi, Ron Miles, Greg Gisbert, Ken Walker, Eric Gunnison, Jeff Jenkins, Mark Simon, Larry Coryell, Jeremy Pelt, Jaleel Shaw, Javon Jackson and his dear old dad, Jim Stranahan. He had made a name for himself as one of the hottest young drummers in the country, even snagging the Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award. Currently Colin is spending the year doing a fellowship at the Brubeck Institute (as in Dave), where he has been touring around the world, and performing and working with lots of groovy people such as: Geoff Keezer, Greg Tardy, Christian McBride, Lewis Nash, Matt Penman, Ravi Coltrane, Donald Brown, Brian Lynch, Vincent Herring, and many more. Next fall New York City better watch out, because Colin is coming on the scene, where he plans to continue making awesome forward-thinking jazz. Until then, we'll all have to sit tight with his latest record, "Transformation" and wait. Because this guy is gonna be big.Colin Stranahan returns with another superb recording for Capri Records!Since Colin Stranahan’s first release in 2004 at the age of 17, the drummer and composer has gone through a Transformation, both in life and in music. It seems an appropriate title for his latest outing. His impressive debut, Dreams Untold was well received by his peers and the press at large. John Kelman from AllAboutJazz said, “As a bandleader, performer and composer, Colin Stranahan has with one fell swoop established himself as an artist worth watching.” Tony Wise from JazzWise in the UK said, “Colin Stranahan is an exceptional talent by any standards.”Now at 19, a more mature and experienced Stranahan returns with an exceptional band of fellow “young lions”. This stellar group consists of the 18 year old twins, Pascal and Remy Le Boeuf on piano and reeds respectively and 19 year old Dominic Theroux on bass. The first time they were all under the same roof was at the IAJE conference in January of 2004. Pascal, Remy and Dominic were performing with the IAJE Clifford Brown/Stan Getz all stars, a quintet of outstanding high school musicians selected from hundreds of auditions. At that time, they didn’t know that they would ultimately end up in Colin’s basement rehearsing the music you will hear on this CD.A year later, at the IAJE Conference in Long Beach California, Colin and Dominic were performing with the 2005 edition of the IAJE Clifford Brown/Stan Getz all stars. A few months after that, Colin was on stage in Washington DC with Remy and Pascal as participants in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency Program and ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Awards.Tenor saxophonist Michael Bailey (who appeared on Colin’s first recording), trumpet veteran of high acclaim Greg Gisbert, Colin’s father Jim Stranahan and vibes player Mark Clifford all have added their special touches to the tunes they play on. Gisbert flew into town, taking a day out of his busy schedule with Maria Schneider’s band and after playing the first tune with this group, took producer Thomas Burns aside and said, “These kids are scary good!”Dominic Theroux is, like Colin, a recipient of the Brubeck Scholarship and both are currently playing with the legendary Dave Brubeck as well as the Brubeck Institute Quintet. Pascal and Remy Le Boeuf have been winning awards and accolades since they were very young and are presently attending the Manhattan School of Music.The music on this release is made up entirely of original compositions by members of the group, with each musician contributing two tunes (although Remy Le Boeuf has three). Jim Stranahan makes his cameo appearance on the 12-bar blues he wrote titled, “It’s Not Always About You”.The CD begins with Remy playing sax on his medley of Song For Brianna ..3 and Casa Zimbabwe. The first is a hauntingly beautiful melody and the second is a wonderfully rhythmic composition that sounds like it might have been penned by McCoy Tyner. The two tunes, while in a medley belong together.Next are two of Pascal’s compositions. You Are is filled with rhythm changes and clever voicing for the horns. Piece Of Mind is another tune filled with surprises and musical acrobatics. Solos are by Greg, Pascal, Remy and Colin. It’s understandable why Pascal has gained prominence and won so many awards for his compositions.Dominic Theroux scribed the next two tunes. The Search has a subdued melody and begins with Colin’s percussion before the horns come in. The comping is entrancing. Michael Bailey solos first, followed by Remy. Dominic sets the pace for the compelling No Thanks. Michael takes the first solo, then Gisbert (possibly his best on this recording) and Dominic.Remy Le Boeuf’s Sisyfus is propelled by Gisbert’s trumpet leading the rest of the horns. Remy takes the first solo on tenor and then Pascal solos changing the entire mood of the piece, first by slowing it down and then by doubling the tempo before the horns take it out.Colin’s soft and ethereal Out Of Reach features the recording debut of Mark Clifford on vibes. The horns take the background while Mark interacts with Colin and Pascal through the melody. Remy plays flute with the ensemble on this one. This tune leaves you wanting to hear more of this fine young vibes player.Jim Stranahan’s tune, It’s Not Always About You, begins with a drum intro by Colin, followed by a dialog of the melody by Gisbert and Thiroux. The rest of the ensemble joins in and the solos commence, first by Thiroux, then Gisbert, Jim Stranahan, Michael Bailey and finally Pascal. They trade with drums .The finale is Moods Of Perpetual Motion by Colin is an appropriate ending of the Transformation CD. The tune takes you to four destinations with it’s groove and gives way to fine solos by Greg, Dominic, Remy and Michael.Every time you listen to this recording, you hear interactions and subtle nuances you missed previously. It sounds fresh each time you hear it and begs for you to put it on again and again. You can’t help but be impressed with the music and astounded when considering the age of these fine young players. They have talent and maturity that is far beyond their years and a future of infinite possibilities. Only time will tell what the next transformation will reveal.Musician BiosColin Stranahan is the son of a jazz/music educator and has always been immersed in music. He has had a passion for music since he was very young and was able to play a drum set at age eight. In 2005 he was chosen to be a member of the Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship Jazz Combo who performed at IAJE in Long Beach and Miami, Florida as part of the National Foundation of the Advancement of the Arts honors. He was also a recipient of the prestigious Betty Carter Fellowship Residency program at the Kennedy Center, which recognizes outstanding young adult jazz composers. He is also a recipient of the Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award and received his award from President Bush at the White House in June 2005 and winner of the DownBeat High School Jazz Instrumental Soloist Award. Colin graduated from the Denver School of the Arts as an instrumental music major. He is currently attending the Brubeck Institute in California on scholarship. He has performed with Pat Bianchi, Ron Miles, Greg Gisbert, Ken Walker, Eric Gunnison, Jeff Jenkins, Mark Simon, Larry Coryell, Jeremy Pelt, Jaleel Shaw and Javon Jackson among others.Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf (saxophone and piano) are part of a growing New York jazz scene characterized by odd time signatures, shifting harmonies, and the influences of hip hop, R&B, and alternative rock. The San Francisco Chronicle describes their music as “a rich brand of modern jazz, with performances and compositions that display an impressive level of sophistication. Textured harmonies and shifting time signatures are handled with aplomb.” In the molds of Chris Potter, Geri Allen, and Brian Blade, the Le Boeuf Brothers are on the cutting edge of progressive jazz.Pascal and Remy were born in the California Bay Area where they grew up listening to the sounds of Charles Mingus, Dave Holland, and Danilo Perez. They began to study music, and at 18 moved to New York to play gigs and study with Kenny Barron Mike Abene and Dick Oatts. In their short musical career, the Le Boeuf brothers (pronounced "le buff") have accrued an impressive tally of over twenty national and international awards and accomplishments, the most notable being the ASCAP/IAJE Commission honoring Quincy Jones, which premiered at the 2004 IAJE conference and featured tenor saxophonist Chris Potter. The Le Boeuf brothers have also received awards from Downbeat Magazine, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, and the John Coltrane Foundation. Their recent CD “Migration” has received recognition from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), the International Songwriting Competition, and has recently won the 2006 Independent Music Awards for Best Jazz Album and Best Jazz Song.Bassist Dominic Thiroux, 19, has returned for his second year as a Brubeck Fellow. A 2004 graduate of the Hamilton High School Academy of Music in Los Angeles, Dominic's already illustrious career has taken him around the world, with performances in Japan with the Monterey Jazz Festival National High School Jazz All Stars, Canada and Europe with Renee Olstead, and across the US with a variety of groups, including the Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Jazz Fellowship Band, the Hamilton High Jazz Combo "A" of which he was the leader, and the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Foundation National Honor Jazz Ensembles. In 2004, Dominic was a Gold Level National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts Scholarship recipient, the winner of LA's Charles "Dolo" Coker Jazz Foundation Scholarship, the winner of the LA's Music Center Spotlight Award, winner of the DownBeat High School Jazz Instrumental Soloist Award, and was selected as Outstanding Soloist at the 34th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival High School Competition. He has twice been a Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colonist and also leads a busy studio career, recording for film, commercials, and television in Los Angeles.Michael Bailey is a 21 year old saxophonist currently attending the New School University in New York City. While living in New York Michael has studied with Tony Malaby and Gregory Tardy, and spent around 6 years studying with Mark Harris in Denver. Michael has had the pleasure of performing with members of Tower of Power, The Eels, Ani Difranco, Kneebody, Jacky Terrasson Trio, and the Czars and has performed with Ron Miles, Greg Gisbert, and Karl Denson. Lately, Michael has been focusing on his own music and groups like Dave Devine Relay, The Milschman, and The Mercury Project. His influences on the saxophone are endless, but in particular he is into Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter and Joe Lovano. Michael’s listening isn't limited to jazz though and is influenced by just about any music he can get his hand's on.Greg Gisbert was born to a mother that played the trumpet, and a father that played both the piano and the saxophone. When Greg was 10 years old, he got some of his first gigs playing drums with his dad. Later, in High School in 1981, while attending the Jamey Abersold Clinic, he played the trumpet in some dance bands. The next year, 1982, he was off to study at the Clark Terry Clinic, and in 1984 (after winning a Downbeat award for his High School performance) he left for the Berklee College of Music. From 1984 throughout the 90s, Greg has played with Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Gary Burton, John-Fedchock, Maria Schneider, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the Mingus Epitaph, Frank Wess, Mickey Tucker, the Buck Clayton Big Band, and Clark Terry. He has also freelanced with the likes of vocalists Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Sammy Davis Jr, and Tony Bennett. He currently tours with the Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Band, Paul Anka and Maria Schneider.