Michael Dease: The Other Shoe-The Music of Gregg  Hill

Co-producer Gregg Hill has his compositions interpreted by the bold trombonist Michael Dease and the team of Virginal MacDonald/cl, Geoffrey Keezer-Luther Alison/p, Liany Mateo/b Colleen Clark/dr and a handful of guests. The addition of MacDonald’s clarinet makes for rich ideas, as she’s featured on the quirky “Wake Up Call” and her vibrato seduces on “Shorty’s Tune”. Dease has a horn that is big and brassy, going up and sown the scales on “The Classic”, teaming up with fellow bone man Joel Perez on the Latin lover “Rio Mio” and sliding around Keezer’s stride on “The Sleeper”. Dease pulls out the baritone sax for the mood changing opus “The Other Side” which also features Allison bringing in some keyboard concepts and an extra pair of percussive hands. The compositions each have clever mood swings and veer off into various blue highways, making the sonic journey worth paying attention to. Brass tacks!

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