Ryan Meagher
Pronounced "Marr"
The newest release from Ryan Meagher is on Fresh Sound New Talent Records and is entitled, "Tone". Tone contains vestiges of Meagher's upbringing by incorporating sonic impressionism from all of the geographical contexts Meagher grew up in. He maintains some of the angst-ridden teenage suburban aesthetic that his hit debut record "Atroefy" had. He flaunts the urban-centric aesthetic that his jazz lineage has provided him. And he explores wide-open natural landscapes that he has known throughout his entire life.
It features Kneebody's Shane Endsley on trumpet, as well as Yeah-Yeah Records collaborators Matt Blostein (sax), Vinnie Sperrazza (drums)and Geoff Kraly (elec. bass). Here is what Bill Milkowski said of "Tone" in Jazz Times:
"Guitarist-composer Ryan Meagher has recruited a group of fellow musical renegades for his sophomore outing. Like last year's impressive, Atroefy, this one falls into the "modern jazz for the Indie rocker" camp. Trumpeter and Kneebody co-founder Shane Endsley and saxophonist Matt Blostein enliven the proceedings with their bristling, thoughtful solos on affecting Meagher originals like "Run and Gun" (evocative of Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra), the mournful "Bad Time" and the pleasant ditty "The Intolerable" (inspired by the rock band The Shins).
Meagher, who is also a facile and original improviser, has a knack for writing interesting harmonies for Endsley and Blostein on the frontline, while electric bassist Geoff Kraly and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza are flexible and savvy enough to easily handle heavier-rocking numbers ("Sherner," "Reminiscent") and jazzier material (the dynamic, free-boppish "Farad's Challenge" and the lightly swinging "Walther's Pond"), a well as unabashed skronking ("Alpenglow"). Fans of Bill Frisell's recent work with horns may dig this startlingly original stuff."
Be sure to also check out his first record, "Atroefy", on Fresh Sound New Talent Records.
Jazz Times
Guitarist Meagher blends his garage rock roots with a jazz sensibility on his upstart debut. Meagher is an accomplished player-composer with an uncliched, freewheeling approach to his solos, as he demonstrates on the hard-hitting “Divided Road” the grunge-laden “Downers” and the lyrical “Poetry in Motian.” Saxophonists Loren Stillman and Matt Renzi bring a refined aesthetic and improvisational flair to this inventive twist on modern jazz, which is underscored by slamming drummer Vinnie Sperrazza and electric bassist Geoff Kraly.
Bill Milkowski of Jazz Times
ATROEFY made the TOP 20 of CMJ's Jazz Chart (Issue 1102 of the CMJ New Music Report Magazine)
The newest release from Ryan Meagher is on Fresh Sound New Talent Records and is entitled, "Tone". Tone contains vestiges of Meagher's upbringing by incorporating sonic impressionism from all of the geographical contexts Meagher grew up in. He maintains some of the angst-ridden teenage suburban aesthetic that his hit debut record "Atroefy" had. He flaunts the urban-centric aesthetic that his jazz lineage has provided him. And he explores wide-open natural landscapes that he has known throughout his entire life.
It features Kneebody's Shane Endsley on trumpet, as well as Yeah-Yeah Records collaborators Matt Blostein (sax), Vinnie Sperrazza (drums)and Geoff Kraly (elec. bass). Here is what Bill Milkowski said of "Tone" in Jazz Times:
"Guitarist-composer Ryan Meagher has recruited a group of fellow musical renegades for his sophomore outing. Like last year's impressive, Atroefy, this one falls into the "modern jazz for the Indie rocker" camp. Trumpeter and Kneebody co-founder Shane Endsley and saxophonist Matt Blostein enliven the proceedings with their bristling, thoughtful solos on affecting Meagher originals like "Run and Gun" (evocative of Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra), the mournful "Bad Time" and the pleasant ditty "The Intolerable" (inspired by the rock band The Shins).
Meagher, who is also a facile and original improviser, has a knack for writing interesting harmonies for Endsley and Blostein on the frontline, while electric bassist Geoff Kraly and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza are flexible and savvy enough to easily handle heavier-rocking numbers ("Sherner," "Reminiscent") and jazzier material (the dynamic, free-boppish "Farad's Challenge" and the lightly swinging "Walther's Pond"), a well as unabashed skronking ("Alpenglow"). Fans of Bill Frisell's recent work with horns may dig this startlingly original stuff."
Be sure to also check out his first record, "Atroefy", on Fresh Sound New Talent Records.
Jazz Times
Guitarist Meagher blends his garage rock roots with a jazz sensibility on his upstart debut. Meagher is an accomplished player-composer with an uncliched, freewheeling approach to his solos, as he demonstrates on the hard-hitting “Divided Road” the grunge-laden “Downers” and the lyrical “Poetry in Motian.” Saxophonists Loren Stillman and Matt Renzi bring a refined aesthetic and improvisational flair to this inventive twist on modern jazz, which is underscored by slamming drummer Vinnie Sperrazza and electric bassist Geoff Kraly.
Bill Milkowski of Jazz Times
ATROEFY made the TOP 20 of CMJ's Jazz Chart (Issue 1102 of the CMJ New Music Report Magazine)
Modern Jazz for the Indie Rocker
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