Geoffrey Dean Quartet

Conceptions

Cellar Music

Sometimes when not familiar with the artist, it’s a matter of trusting the label and/or the musicians in the ensemble. So, with that, we bring you the second release from pianist and composer Geoffrey Dean and his quartet on Corey Weed’s Cellar Music label. Dean is also an author and an educator who recently published a book on jazz harmony entitled Kenny Kirkland’s Harmonic and Rhythmic Language: A Model For The Modern Jazz Pianist.  Dean’s debut album was Foundations issued just over a year ago. This second foray is titled Conceptions, all original music from the group, mostly straight-ahead but replete with odd meter, backbeat driven jazz with some modern flourishes. Each member of the group except accclcaimed bassist Harish Raghaven composed pieces. The drummer is Dr. Eric Binder, and the trumpeter is Justin Copeland. Since meeting while pursuing their Doctoral Jazz Studies at the University of Illinois, Dean, Binder, and Copeland have now played together for almost a decade.

The relaxed swing of the opener from Dean “Came and Went,” sets a calm mood, inspired by a painting signifying a traveler passing through the mountain on the way to the destination. Immediately one is lulled in by the lyricism of both Copeland and the leader, each of whom states the melody and improvises with flair in their solos. The fast tempo material arrives directly after, in Copeland’s “Phoenix Rising,” infused with an excerpt from Cedar Walton’s “Bolivia,” a modal solo, and risk-taking improvisations. Binder’s “Amidst a Dream,” with its odd meters and use of space, is a soft ballad made to emulate those periods of disorientation when waking up from a dream. Listen for the unexpected harmony inserted to stir the listener awake and back to some kind of reality. Dean’s “Conflagration” bursts forth and doesn’t let up. The composer uses changing meters and minor progression to underpin the soloing from Copeland, Binder, and Dean. The song is eerily timely in the wake of the California and Carolina wildfires. The same kind of momentum those fires gain from powerful winds is emulated in this music.

Copeland’s “Road to Somewhere” takes the tempo back down, as if to say, even if it seems like one is not making progress, keep on plugging. He’s also imploring us to enjoy the journey, to take in all that the road offers. The tune builds in intensity with his fierce trumpet solo and also at root are unison lines between the piano and bass, a chance for Raghaven to draw attention along with the leader. The sublime “Song for Hannah” was penned by Dean for his wife and is the only track rendered as a piano trio, shedding more light on the interplay between Raghaven and Binder.

Dean’s “Spiral” is a modified contrafact of Gershwin’s standard “I Got Rhythm,” with Copeland stating his lines fluidly and with authority. When Dean steps in, we hear strains of the original, which is basically an up-tempo blues, with room for Binder on the eights. The leader’s “Prism” is a modal tune as a nod to his influences, Donald Brown, Chick Corea, and a bit of McCoy Tyner too. “Arrival” is Copeland’s celebration for finding that ‘right’ trumpet he had been searching for. Immediately he composed this warm melody, that, like most his pieces, builds in intensity while extending the piece to enable ample soloing from all his band mates. Binder’s “What May Come’ is a backbeat-driven piece that begins over Dean’s ostinato piano figure. From there, the ensemble improvises, immersing themselves in the light groove.  In some regards it’s a modern take on soul-jazz.

Having three different composers within a small ensemble keeps it interesting, and when hearing two or three from the same composer, certain tendencies emerge. Every bit of Conceptions sounds well-crafted and the tight bond between three of them enables the composer to write with the specific musicians in mind. Well done. Hard to believe it is just their second album.

– Jim Hynes

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