Chicago's Vandermark 5 are an avant-garde jazz ensemble with a modern perspective on life. An ambitious saxophonist-composer who dedicates each of his songs to someone who has made an impact in his life (like Cecil Taylor and Jackie Chan), Vandermark does quite well on his second outing as a leader. Vandermark is also a member of Chicago's NRG Ensemble and has hijacked NRG bandmates Mars Williams (saxophone) and Kent Kessler (bass) for this endeavor as well as using trombonist-guitarist Jeb Bishop and drummer Tim Mulvena. Visceral, expansive, and uniquely imaginative, Vandermark's compositions are carefully structured without sacrificing the freedom of experimental jazz. Vandermark's burly saxophone tone is offset by the frantic antics of the Coltrane-inspired Mars Williams and Jeb Bishop's excursions on trombone and guitar. --Mitch Myers
Target or Flag,Vandermark 5,Atavistic Records,Avant-Garde,Avant-Garde Jazz,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Rock/Pop
Jazz Music:
- The Classic Blue Note Recordings
- The Complete 1959 Columbia Recordings [Box set] [Original recording remastered]
- The Forward Look [Live]
- The Modern Art of Jazz
- The Slow Lane
- The Stinger [Original recording remastered] [Import]
- Touch of Blues
- Trio
- Verbs of Will
- Watercolors
Jazz Music
Music Inspired by: War of the Worlds [Soundtrack]
Dorothy Kirsten in New Orleans
Easy Does It [Import] [Original recording remastered]
Music: I Never Told You: Fred Hersch Plays Johnny Mandel
Contrastes: The Jazzpar Prize [Live]