Billy Mohler

Ultraviolet

Contagious Music

Ultraviolet is leader, bassist, and Grammy-winner Billy Mohler’s follow-up to his 2022 Anatomy, also covered on these pages. As delineated then, Mohler has worked as a sideman, producer, and songwriter for Dolly Parton. Macy Gray. Lady Gaga, Mavis Staples, Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, and others. This is the third outing for his quartet comprised of tenor saxophonist Chris Speed (The Bad Plus), along with trumpeter Shane Endsley and drummer Nate Wood who play in the Grammy-nominated jazz-funk band Kneebody.  Given Mohler’s pop and rock background, it stands to reason those strains will course through his compositions. But, while the last album was his ‘pandemic record,’ Ultraviolet carries a more widely ranging vibe, inspired in part by Mohler’s love of skateboarding (Mohler is the musical director of skate hero Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom Huck Jam Tour). The bassist draws parallels to the instant decision making and improvising that characterizes both jazz and skating. Others have pointed out similarities to basketball and jazz for the same reasons.  The fact that this quartet does not have a chordal instrument such as piano or guitar, puts even more emphasis on the front line’s ability to create on the spot. These nine Mohler originals weigh in at a brief 32 minutes with only three tracks exceeding five minutes. Hence, taut interplay reigns.

Although this is entirely an acoustic quartet, the fifth collaborator is producer Dan Seef who works together with Mohler in post-production to add effects, typically analog tape echo to the horns which grace several of the tracks. Seef also is expert at layering sounds, and at times, the sound is not unlike jazz fusion even with the four acoustic instruments at play.  The piece “Disorder II” is a prime example of Seef and Mohler crafting faint siren-like echoes which fade in and out of the melody. More conventional, sustained echoes mark “Disorder I.”

The opener “Matador” features the blended sound of Ensley’s trumpet and Speed’s clarinet, the brief piece serving as a prelude of sorts for the title track, where the trumpeter and now tenorist Speed dance around the grooves laid down by Mohler and Wood in a sprightly tune that could easily be a soundtrack to a skateboarding competition in the X games. Mohler’s basslines are the fulcrum point of most of these pieces, with each quartet member revolving around those ideas. The unison low register tones of Endsley and Speed begin “The Wait” before Speed builds a deliberate, fervent solo over bubbling bass and drums. The two front liners reprise the theme, with Endsley delivering his own melancholic statement. The dynamics and momentum build, reflecting growing anxiety with horns now reaching upwards, until Speed’s emphatic low end note closes this standout dramatic piece.

The brief “Sorrow” and “Aberdeen” are in the contemplative vein while “Evolution” lifts off from Mohler’s snappy bassline into a mid-tempo uplifting blues with a feisty solo from Endsley, gritty expression from Speed, and that relentless bouncy rhythm from the bass-drum tandem. The closer “Reconstruction” gives the quartet their best opportunity to stretch out, commencing with Mohler’s pizzicato that leads into Speed on tenor and Endsley exchanging verses of the melody, which has infectious tinges of pop. When Speed solos, Endsley plays contrapuntally before launching into his own teeming orbit.  The quartet reconvenes for what promises to be an explosive sendoff, but instead a fadeout. Never discount the element of surprise.

There’s a nice balance in terms of tempos and tones yet overall Mohler’s music is infectious and accessible, colored by his natural instincts for setting grooves and melodic hooks that have more impact when coupled with his reflective pieces.

• Jim Hynes

Buy Us a Cup of Coffee!

Join the movement in supporting Making a Scene, the premier independent resource for both emerging musicians and the dedicated fans who champion them.

We showcase this vibrant community that celebrates the raw talent and creative spirit driving the music industry forward. From insightful articles and in-depth interviews to exclusive content and insider tips, Making a Scene empowers artists to thrive and fans to discover their next favorite sound.

Together, let’s amplify the voices of independent musicians and forge unforgettable connections through the power of music

You can donate directly through Paypal!

Subscribe to Our Newsletter