The JC Group Giveaway/Review - Matthias Lupri - Transition Sonic

[Lois Gilbert]

Matthias Lupri
Transition Sonic

Matthias Lupri - Vibraphone/Electronics
Mark Turner - Saxophones
Cuong Vu - Trumpet/Electronics
Nate Radley - Guitar/Electronics
Thomson Kneeland - Accoustic Bass/Electronics
Jordan Perlson - Drums


Here's an early review:

"This stellar offering represents vibraphonist Matthias Lupri's second release for the Summit Records label. Joined by long-time collaborator, saxophonist Mark Turner, and reunited with Cuong Vu on trumpet, the vibraphonist and former rock drummer Matthias Lupri has written a stunning 12-part suite. The Berklee Music School alumnus opens this masterwork with "Sonic Prelude" which appropriately segues to "Sonic" a riveting, melodic continuum of creativity. Continuing with "Middle Zone," Lupri's affinity for swinging the jazz verities is quite apparent on his authoritative solos. Cuong Vu is brilliant with his free trumpet expression that takes this composition to another level. "The Day After," is haunting and beautiful with Lupri's sensitive melodies evoking placid thoughts.

"He breathes fresh straight-ahead jazz life into the vibes going through the full spectrum of its percussive and harmonious intonations. Cuong Vu and Mark Turner shimmer with masterful compliments and solos that combine the blunt precision of Vu's trumpeting and Turner's saxophone phrasing with that of Radley's original guitar voice. Kneeland and Perlson have an instinctive rhythmic balance that brings the set all together. Perlson's amazing drum solo on "Deception" is an indication that he is a jazz drummer to watch. Kneeland's bowed acoustic bass on "Iceland Dark," paints a magnificent tapestry of colors that is both eerie and beautiful, bringing to mind the exotic imagery of the island nation. "Middle Zone," "Deception," "Chime Trance," all keep you alert for something new and different at each turn and showcase Lupri's evolution as a musician, composer and vibist in the vein of both Gary Burton and Bobby Hutcherson. But it is the masterful revelation that Matthias Lupri shows as a jazz composer with fresh blowing vehicles that makes TRANSITION SONIC a must have for any serious collector of jazz vibraphonist works."
Paula Edelstein, Sounds of Timeless Jazz

[Lois Gilbert]

Here are the liner notes to Matthias' Transition Sonic



Matthias Lupri
Transition Sonic
Notes by Neil Tesser

If you find a more ambitious, intriguing album this year than Transition Sonic, please let me know. After several increasingly accomplished recordings, Matthias Lupri has arrived at a comprehensive, yet focused, musical vision; equally important, he has built a band that can share and expand that vision. And now, on Transition Sonic, the vibraphonist and former rock drummer has written what amounts to a 12-part suite, as beautifully balanced as a gyroscope in the length of its movements, in its proportion of solos and ensemble passages, and in its range of mood and emotion. Individual compositions lead into and out of other songs, reiterating the melodies, rhythms, and especially the textures that bind this album into whole cloth. You can enjoy the discrete tracks, certainly, but to really "get" Lupri's intent, do yourself a favor *carve an hour or so out of your busy life and listen to this album start to finish. It's a good ride.

Much of that has to do with the lineup of musicians for this project: on paper, Lupri's sextet looks like a multifaceted gem. And as it turns out, that lineup is worth considerably more than the paper it's printed on.

The 30-something leader, who didn't investigate jazz till his midtwenties, has garnered glowing reviews for his last two albums, especially his 2002 disc Same Time Twice. Strongly influenced by the music of Gary Burton (with whom he would eventually study at Berklee), he has also absorbed the instrument's other historic innovators (Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson) in developing his style; its primary characteristic may be the edgy lyricism that marks Lupri's solos, but it also ranges from gauzy coloration to rhythm-section steel.

The tenor saxist Mark Turner, another Berklee graduate, has attracted attention since his first appearance on the scene (1990) and on disc (1994),
and in 2002 a substantial NY Times profile was headlined "The Best Jazz
Player You've Never Heard." A similar level of praise has greeted the work
of trumpeter Cuong Vu, whose musician parents moved from their native
Vietnam to Seattle when he was 6; an alumnus of the New England
Conservatory, where he emphasized the study of contemporary classical
composers, he has added a unique and exciting voice to such diverse bands as the Pat Metheny Group and experimental big band Orange Then Blue.

In the rhythm section is yet another Berklee grad, drummer Jordan Perlson (class of 03), who approached Lupri one day (while still a student) and said, "I want to play in your band"; when an opening arose, Lupri liked what he heard. Perlson joins forces with bassist Thomson Kneeland and guitarist Nate Radley, both frequent contributors to Lupri's music over the years. Neither has recorded much to this point, and that fact will make their work an absolute revelation for most listeners.

All the musicians have plenty to sink their teeth into here. As a rock drummer on the road, practicing vibes in his hotel room each night after the
gig, Lupri developed an unexpected interest in composition, which he nurtured when he enrolled in Berklee in his mid-20s. But while the previous
Same Time Twice featured several quite memorable tunes, the dramatic arc of
Transition Sonic represents a watershed for Lupri.

It's packed with noteworthy moments: the passage from the introductory
prelude into the first piece ("Sonic"), which establishes thematic elements that will reappear at various points; Cuong Vu's breathy, shrieking trumpet on "Middle Zone," a mournful banshee negotiating the territory of the title;
the pentatonic scales that underlie Lupri's solo on "The Day After,"
foretelling the pan-Asian echoes of "Chime Trance"; the tumbling rhythm and
rugged melody of "Deception," a standout tune that ought to capture the
imagination of other players as well (they'll be hard pressed to top Lupri's
own solo, but it's worth the try); the bowed-bass feature on "Iceland Dark,"
set against the ethereal textures created by vibes and electronic looping,
which segue effortlessly into the next movement; the spacious triptych that
leads from "Prairie" to "Earlier Years," and the final recapitulation of the
opening movement.

One more aspect of this recording speaks to Lupri's maturity as a composer and leader. This is not "jam band," in either the original sense of the word (a freewheeling pickup group designed to showcase each player in turn) or current usage (a rock-based outfit that stretches desultory solos over long, low-tech vamps). Not every member of this terrific unit solos on each track, although each easily could; the music has more specific purpose than serving merely as a vehicle for a string of solos. Because of that, many of the solos come as a surprise * "oh right, there's a saxophone in this group, too"
* making the band seem even bigger than it really is.

Matthias Lupri has done just about everything right here, and the result is music smartly conceived fully realized. Once again: if you find a more ambitious and intriguing album this year, tell me.

(No, I'm serious tell me. You can reach me at the address below.)

NEIL TESSER
ntesser@milesaheadjazz.com

[Lois Gilbert]

Ok so Matthias has graciously agreed to provide 10 copies for your listening and reviewing pleasure. Matthias who is a regular poster around these parts also is one of the nicest guys I work with. He's one of the reasons why I love Jazzcorner so much. It's about the people I get to work with.

This CD is very intriguing and you can listen to sound bites yourself by visiting Matthias Lupri

This is open to everyone, except folks who did not turn in reviews on previous cds they received.

Just email me at lois@jazzcorner.com with your name, address and screen name please.

[Mike Schwartz]

I've had an advance copy in preparation for Matthias' second visit on the weekly radio/webcast...10/03/04 this time around.

Not a review at this time, this disc among the favorites I've heard this year!

[Tanager]

I really dug Matthias' first disk (still spin it often), so I'm stoked about this one.

[Lois Gilbert]

Congrats to all those who scored this CD. Matthias will be sending them out this week. Assuming you receive them in a timely manner - let's figure on the group review for Oct 10. Please note as you receive them here (record reviews section) Thanks


Moné Peterson
Monrovia, CA

Miles
Toronto ON

jazzfiend
Hayward, CA

Darryl G. Thomas
Upper Marlboro, MD

LeMo
Bruxelles Belgium

Boris Badenov
Washington, DC

claude
Fredericton NB Canada

Tanager
Durham, NC

gnhrtg
Fontainebleau, FRANCE

randyhersm
Morganton, NC

[Matthias Lupri]

Hey all

Thanks for interest in my new disc and taking the time to review it at jazzcorner.

The group just got back off the road from a few dates, Chris Potter was on the hits on horn and it was real pleasure to play with him. Hope to record with him too next time around.

CD’s will be sent today.
Best,
M

www.matthiaslupri.com

[Boris Badenov]

Received the disc today and am very much looking forward to hearing it.

[Lois Gilbert]

Anybody else get it yet

[gnhrtg]

Got it this very minute.

[Tanager]

I don't believe it's come yet. I was out of town this weekend, I'll double check with Mrs. Tanager.

[claude]

No sign of it yet.

edit: spoke too soon, it was on my desk when I got back from lunch.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

I got it in the mail last week, thanks Lois and Matthias.

I'll hold off on a review, but first impressions were very good. For some reason it reminded me of an Eberhard Weber LP I had back in the '70s that I just loved, it had Charlie Mariano on saxes and flute.

For now I can say the CD encourages me to check out the rest of Lupri's catalogue.

[jazzfiend]

Got it! Leaving for Vermont early tomorrow. Will post something when I get back, around the 7th or 8th of Oct.

[Miles]

I got it last week as well and am really enjoying it. Review forthcoming soon.

[randyhersom]

It's really really good.

A couple points of reference for me are Bobby Hutcherson's mid-60's Blue Notes, Joe Chambers The Almoravid, and some seventies ECM dates. I hope the last doesn't put anyone off. Lupri doesn't sound like Gary Burton to me. I'm hoping that mentioning these will give you some idea whether you will like this without introducing too many preconceptions.

It starts out with a very slow introduction that shows off the tonal variety produced by trumpeter Cuong Vu. Vu and Mark Turner are excellent foils for the leader and composer. The sextet generates a great range of sonic colors and emotions.

Track Five, Deception, sounded incredibly familiar and led to me bringing out the great Joe Chambers CD listed above. I was somewhat surprised to find that the track I remembered as soundling like Deception wasn't all that similar. It haunts me still. It's the hypnotic rhythm at the beginning that I still think I might have heard before. If it was borrowed, it was well worth borrowing - the track is a standout!

I'll add more thoughts on individual tracks as I listen more. The album is highly recommended.

[Tanager]

Got it. Listening now.

[Tanager]

I've listened to about half of it thus far - I'm at work right now, and it's at home, but my reaction at first listen is overwhelmingly positive. This is a very, very enjoyable set of music. I'll post the proper review after a couple of complete listens, but I think I like this disk better (so far) than Same Time Twice.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

Randy,

I don't think the ECM comparison is such a bad thing. It was one of the first things that came across my mind. I've always loved the ECM sound. It's like a cool burn.

[Tanager]

I hear a bit of the ECM similarity as well, and, like Darryl, I see nothing negative about that...more on that shortly.

Matthias Lupri's latest disk, Transition Sonic, is a fine outing by Lupri and an extremely sympathetic ensemble. The tenor of the session varies from burning post-bop ("Sonic" and "Deception") workouts reminiscent to my ears of the work of recent Dave Holland groups (anyone else hear a bit of Billy Kilson in Perlson's drumming?), albeit without the taut contrapuntal horn exchanges that mark that better-known ensemble, to more dissonant, darker tones ("Double Trouble") and (as noted by others) haunting explorations that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a 70s ECM session. The group interaction is tight and finely-meshed - it's not simply a Lupri session at all, as solo space is ample for all the players, in particular the trumpet of Cuong Vu. Lupri is a good accompanist, and his accents and fills help to tie things together and spur on his fellow players. Turner seems to get less time in the forefront than I would have liked - his turn on soprano at the close of "Earlier Years" left me wishing the tune had gone on longer.

Of the other players, Kneeland has a taut, woody tone, and where I noticed him, I liked his playing, but I felt more than heard his presence, for the most part, if that makes any sense (which it probably doesn't). Nate Radley reminded me in spots *strongly* of Offramp-era Pat Metheny, although he certainly plays fewer notes than Metheny in his solos - but there's the same sparse, haunting feel, and his tone sounds nearly like an exact copy of Metheny's of that period. While I like Cuong Vu, both here and on his own solo releases, I didn't much care for his tone here - whether it's different from his solo releases, or whether it never bothered me in those settings, I don't know - I plan to listen to them this afternoon to see. But his tone is soft around the edges, not as bright as I would have liked, given the at times rather dense sonic fabric through which he's trying to cut during his solos, and as a result his playing sounds muddy at times - it doesn't shine through the way a brighter, sharper tone would have, IMHO. But as a part of the greater whole, that's a quibble. I liked his more "out" moments, as on "Double Trouble," best - his voice supplied most of the harmonic contrast, to me, on the album overall, which I suppose is part of why I wanted to be able to hear him more clearly.

For me this is probably a 4.5 stars (out of 5) outing - I think it's stronger overall than Lupri's earlier disk, and I in particular liked the more muscular feel to the band (which, I think, derives in large part from his new rhythm section - keep those guys around, Matthias).

[randyhersom]

Here's my track by track comments.

Cuong Vu evokes the sound of the whistling wind in the slow buildup of Sonic Prelude.

Sonic Prelude feels very uptempo in comparison. Actually there's a lot of activity over a midtempo base.

For me, Middle Zone evokes great Blue Note dates like Maiden Voyage and Speak No Evil. I think Mark Turner is closer in musical personality to Wayne Shorter than to Rollins or Coltrane. Lupri's compositional style also feels close to Shorter's.

The Day After has a gently searching feel.

Deception has a hypnotic rhythmic intensity.

Iceland Dark is well named evocative and slow with a beautifully colored bowed acoustic bass solo.

Chime Trance builds gently. Like most of the tracks, there are solos, but the music flows so smoothly in and out of them that you tend to not notice the beginning or end. Lupri's solo here is wonderful.

There's a five note riff that Cuong Vu plays during the the theme statement of Double Trouble that just wails, it makes an impact and stays in your mind. From there it moves into an almost avant-garde section.

Things return to a ballad pace for Prairie

The brief Intro features the guitar of Nate Radley as it slowly brings the pace back up.

Earlier Years is a gently rocking lullabye featuring Mark Turner on soprano, then bass and vibes.

Sonic Reprise brings things full circle with a variation on track 2.

[Matthias Lupri]

Hey

Thanks for the reviews on the CD and to Mike Schwartz for the radio interview last week out in CA, we had a good talk. It was pleasure to do this project and play the tunes live. Come out to a show and say hello if you can.

Best,
Matthias

www.matthiaslupri.com

[sheldonwhite]

Well, I'm not part of the official review group, but it sounded so interesting that I bought a copy and gave it a good listen.
Wow! This is really nice music. Great balance between odd time signatures, moody slow pieces, fast funkiness and modern swinging. The players support each other, so the results is more than the sum of the parts (ala Brian Blade Fellowship or David Berkman's group). Lots of passion, lots of thinking. I'm recommending this one to all the players I know here in Seattle!
Thanks, Matthias!

[Lois Gilbert]

Great reviews folks - thanks for support Matthias. And remember if you want to buy a copy you can get it directly from him autographed and he get $13

I think we said Sunday for the rest of the reviews. Correct? thanks L

[jazzfiend]

Back from Vermont, I finally had some time to spend with with this excellent Lupri session. I was not really prepared for the added maturity and writing talent apparent on this new recording. Lupri's previous efforts demonstrated his ability to compose interesting vehicles for more extended blowing by these monster musicians. Transition Sonic focuses more on the memorable compositions which bear additional fruit on repeated listenings.

"Sonic" is a highlight for me. The band kicks some serious butt here. Strong composition from which to create personal statements. Love Lupri's solo, and Turner shows why he's a class contributer to many sessions. Vu succeeds in blowing the paint off the walls. Very impressive.

Middle Zone is another standout tune, with everyone at his best.

The Day After is a lovely tune. In fact, my wife, who dislikes much of my music (which tends to be energy driven), came into the room and praised my current taste in lyrical jazz music. She advised that she'd be happy to take possession of the disc if I tire of it. Perlson is very impressive on this cut.

My man Turner wails in joyous fashion on Deception.

Iceland Dark is quite different from anything else here, beautiful in it's starkness and memorable performance by Thomson Kneeland, a new name to me.

Chime Trance is another monster piece, which rewards with new pleasures on repeated listenings.

Really enjoyed Vu's solo on Earlier Years, as well as Lupri's unique writing.

Overall, the session demonstrates Lupri's rich talent in both composition and creative improvising, as well as his ability to motivate these marvelous musicians to lay down some of their best work on record. The cd has entered my top 10 list for 2004, and I can safely recommend this music to all types of jazz lovers.

Many thanks to Lois & Matthias for giving me the opportunity to sample and enjoy this wonderful music.

[gnhrtg]

Thanks to Lois and Matthias for providing an opportunity to hear the music.

My reactions to the music, however, are not as positive I would have liked to report. However, I really hope there are enough readers whose tastes are at odds with mine or who will disregard my opinions in favor of the rather positive impressions of the other reviewers.

Matthias's compositions cover a wide range of moods and styles and nicely draw upon odd meters, there is at least a song in 5, one in 7, and two in 13, and vamps to provide a rhythmic propulsion to the music. In my opinion, both "Sonic" and "The Day After" show what the band and Matthias as a composer is capable of.

I have two overarching concerns with the music, both based on personal preferences. First, the solos tend to be too confined within the mood, harmony, and rhythm set by the composition on hand such that they sound decorative and lack the coherence and development (or surprise) I like to hear in solos. The guests, Vu and Turner are exceptions here and both seem to craft their solos and phrases as opposed to the more fragmented and "running through the changes" sense I get from hearing the other musicians' solos (especially hear how, for instance, Turner varies and builds up his lines on Sonic as compared to Radley during the time when both solo). The second aspect of the music I haven't responded to too well is its lushness and the lack of a certain grit or dissonance. The particular tone Radley uses and vibes, in general, have a lushness and a tendency to "flow/suspend" and the way these sonorities are employed adds to that sense without enough, for me, of any kind of trying to push things, harmonically or melodically, to still make it sound interesting - too generic, if you like. If you think you would be not as concerned with either of these as I apparently am, I have few remaining reservations about the disc.

I, too, would have liked to hear more space given to Turner. At those times that Vu went for building a solo, I also enjoyed some of his ideas and his confident phrasing so would have liked perhaps more of that rather than the sound-painting through effects, as integral to some pieces as that is.

So that people here might get even more, and hopefully more positive, opinions on the music, I am willing to mail my copy to anyone in Europe who can commit to posting a review within two weeks of receiving the disc.

[Miles]

Matthias Lupri’s “Transition Sonic” is truly excellent. It is a cohesive atmospheric whole, but it’s varied enough to sustain interest the whole way through. Each player is unique and contributes fully without resorting to cliché. I was convinced that the musicians were completely invested in what they were playing.

Nate Radley, Thomson Kneeland and Jordan Perlson, none of whom I’d ever heard, are tight and dynamic the whole way through; they communicate beautifully with each other and the soloists, and each gives outstanding solos in his own right (Radley’s on Middle Zone is great, but even greater when pushed forward by Perlson’s wicked drumming).

Matthias is great on every track, melodic, and possessed of his own sound and phrasing. His compositions are tailor-made for his sound, and I find it difficult to separate the vibrophonist from the tunes in my head. His solos are completely logical in the context of his pieces and always interesting. “Deception” really stood out to me as an example of his excellent, fluid-but-punchy style.

Cuong Vu is great, although used for textural effects more often than I would have liked (these are used well, I just wanted to hear more of him in a melodic context). I think perhaps I had this reaction because I was so excited to hear him (I only knew him by reputation). His additions to tunes like “The Day After”, “Sonic” and “Chime Trance” add to the atmosphere and force even more tension and release out of them. His subtle use of electronics is very effective.

Mark Turner is also integral to my overall impression of the record (as mentioned in the liner notes, the switching-up of the horns on different tracks really does work and adds another layer of depth to the album). He is simply himself and, as usual, a unique and fresh sound. “Deception” is a good example of how well he works with this group.

Although I would have liked to have heard more extended contributions from the horns, I understand their function in the music and I can’t really complain.

This is a very interesting album and it inspired me as a listener and as a musician. Thanks again to Lois, Matthias and Summit Records for giving me the chance to hear it; I plan to recommend it.

[Boris Badenov]

I like this record a good deal. I had asked to be added to the list not only because I was interested in hearing Matthias Lupri (about whom I had heard a bit but not a huge amount) but also to hear Cuong Vu and Mark Turner, both of whom I had heard a lot about but whose music I had not heard at all. At first I was a bit disappointed in this latter objective, since as one previous commenter pointed out, they and the other soloists are somewhat subordinated to the group vibe here. But as I kept listening, I made out not only their voices but those of the other players as well, not to mention Lupri as a composer.

Based on the first cut, which is a sort of sonic wash (in the water color sense) I settled in expecting something a bit like early Weather Report, but this diverges from that sound rather quickly. The twelve related pieces flow fairly seamlessly into one other but there is nevertheless plenty of variety in tone, mood, tempo and groove to keep a listener interested throughout. I'll be checking out Matthias' other work and look forward to seeing him if he's in DC at some point, as I think this material would be even more interesting when the players are given more time to stretch out.

[LeMo]

My opinion about "Transition Sonic" from Matthias Lupri is closed to the one that gnhrtg has expressed. The record and his line-up promess a lot but don't deliver much to this ears.

What interest me in this record (and the reason I ask for it) was the pairing of Mark Turner and Cuong Vu. Even if none of them is, by far, an absolute waranty of quality, they are, indisputably, talented and - Cong Vu particularly - able to push the music beyond his limite when the context offer it.
If, to my hear, Cong Vu is the most interesting musicians to listen to here, the too much similair mood of the whole batch of compositions, doesn't offer him the possibilities to really singularize himself. It's the same for Turner.

If Matthias is a very decent technicien and even a little more thant that, the problem of the vibes, if you treated too kindly (or, if you prefer, with a too mainstream approach), is that they turn immediately the music in a "sweet" and gentle way from whom it's difficult to escape.

It happens, aniway, once or twice like, by exemple, in "Double Trouble" (a reference/ hommage to Stevie Ray Vaughan?) where, for once, they are all going beyond the to obvious limit of the music.

As the "electronics" are concern, I'm afraid than the way they are used here doesn't add anything positif to the music but, rather, uniformise it a bit more (the ECM feeling that some listeners has spoken about?).

Well, I won't go further in my, hem, erratic reflections as my english is too short to go deeper to say the least.

I can only add than this "review" is one man opinion and nothing else.

I will keep an eye, aniway, to the evolution of Matthias Lupri, first because I like the vibes (but not always how they are played).

And a man who had the good idea to put together Mark Turner and Cong Vu on his recording date can't reserved nothing else than good surprises in the future.

[claude]

Originally Posted by Lois Gilbert

Great reviews folks - thanks for support Matthias. And remember if you want to buy a copy you can get it directly from him autographed and he getd $13

I think we said Sunday for the rest of the reviews. Correct? thanks L

Sorry I missed the deadline, will be posting something before the end of the week. I haven't been able sit down and get my thoughts out about this one. I really like it and I want to do it justice.