441 Will Vinson

• 1 Boogaloo 04:03
• 2 Love Letters 07:53
• 3 Banal Street 05:30
• 4 Oasis 08:54
• 5 I Am James Bond 08:31
• 6 Cherry Time 07:27
• 7 Work 05:34
• 8 KW 07:05
• 9 The Way to You 04:44
• 10 That Happened 10:18
• 11 Milestones 04:50
• Total Runtime 01:14:49

Info for 441

2019 is a milestone year for altoist Will Vinson. It’s twenty years since he relocated to New York from his native London, and commenced an exploration that led him into the heart of that city’s legendary scene, where the tradition and the avant-garde intersect. Seven records as leader have confirmed his stature: now, for his debut on Whirlwind, titled four forty one, he’s dug into his contact book to present the realization of a long-held dream - to record with five of the greatest contemporary piano masters. Sullivan Fortner, Tigran Hamasyan, Gerald Clayton, Fred Hersch, and long-time associate Gonzalo Rubalcaba are each matched with their respective bass and drum team of Matt Brewer and Obed Calvaire, Matt Penman and Billy Hart, Matt Brewer and Clarence Penn, Rick Rosato and Jochen Rueckert, and Larry Grenadier and Eric Harland, to create five dream trios for Vinson to play off “as a bystander and participant at the same time.”

Each pianist was chosen by Vinson to reflect a different aspect of his musical journey through America, and a different side of his own musical identity. The sessions were all performed with no rehearsal and a minimum of formal arrangements, to let the diverse personalities shine through. It’s a unique experiment that has yielded unique results. Sullivan Fortner is featured on the uplifting gospel of ‘Boogaloo’, his lush chords sometimes darkening to echo Keith Jarrett’s interpretation of the genre: on ‘Love Letters’ he’s joined by Brewer and Calvaire in a playful deconstruction. For Vinson, Sullivan represents “a walking encylopedia. When we did ‘Milestones’ I didn’t even tell him what we were going to play and he just jumped in and flipped seamlessly through the whole history of piano”.

Vinson first met Tigran Hamasyan in Ari Hoenig’s band: “He just threw in a whole other tradition that I’d never heard before” Tigran’s signature rhythmic approach informs a duet rendition of Vinson’s original, mockingly titled ‘Banal Street’ - ‘Oasis’ introduces a hushed stillness, the surprise pairing with veteran Billy Hart and the deep-toned Matt Penman yielding some fascinating timbral interplay.

Gerald Clayton is someone Vinson has heard and admired for a long time, but never before played with. “He’s been on his own journey and I just wanted to play with him!” ‘Cherry Time’ starts with a deep, loping groove from Brewer and Penn under a languid, mysterious theme, giving Clayton plenty of space to stretch the time and the harmony into intriguing shapes. ‘I am James Bond’ is aluminous ballad, with the pianist showing the limpid touch he’s deployed to such effect with Charles Lloyd.

Vinson is a pianiste-manqué himself, and hugely influenced by both Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans. Fred Hersch was the perfect choice to bring the touch and feel of those masters into his quirkily jagged, composerly reading of Monk’s ‘Work’ and he and Vinson are in perfect accord on the spacious ‘KW’ a piece written by Bryn Roberts that bears the traces of the late Mr Wheeler’s uniquely evocative melodic sensibility.

Finally, there’s Gonzalo Rubalcalba. “He’s been a mentor to me - and he’s the greatest pianist alive! He had to be on this record!” Listen to the gusto with which the band attacks Vinson’s contrafact on ‘It Could Happen To You’, entitled ‘That Happened!’ with Grenadier and Harland cooking up a polyrhythmic storm and Rubalcaba and Vinson flying over the top.“At heart, I am a frustrated pianist. It may be on the saxophone that I’ve found a voice, but it’s the piano that has captivated, inspired, and eluded me my whole life. This project is a dream come true.”

Will Vinson, alto saxophone
Sullivan Fortner, piano
Tigran Hamasyan, piano
Gerald Clayton, piano
Fred Hersch, piano
Gonzalo Rubalcaba, piano
Matt Brewer, bass
Matt Penman, bass
Rick Rosato, bass
Larry Grenadier, bass
Obed Calvaire, drums
Billy Hart, drums
Eric Harland, drums
Clarence Penn, drums
Jochen Rueckert, drums

Will Vinson
Originally from London, Alto Saxophonist/Composer Will Vinson has made his career in New York City and the world. Since his arrival in NYC, he has appeared and/or recorded with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ari Hoenig, Jonathan Kreisberg, Marcus Gilmore, Chris Potter, Kurt Elling, Lage Lund, Aaron Parks, and many others. ​

Will is a member of a number of leading ensembles, including pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s Quartet (he appears on Charlie and the Grammy-nominated Caminos), Ari Hoenig’s Punk Bop and Nonet (Will appears on Inversations, Bert’s Playground and Live at Smalls), Miguel Zenon’s Identities Orchestra (Grammy-nominated for Identities are Changeable), and his own groups featuring, among others, Lage Lund, Jeff Ballard, Aaron Parks, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Shai Maestro and Mike Moreno.

In 2012, along with bassist Orlando le Fleming and guitarist Lage Lund, he formed the critically acclaimed OWL Trio, whose eponymous debut in 2013 was hailed by critics and listeners alike. Downbeat declared: “Everything about this album,which should contend for debut of the year honors,is a resounding success. The music swings effortlessly, every utterence is gorgeous and the recording is intimate and beautiful", while All About Jazz noted that "the chemistry, sensitivity and simpatico sensibilities exhibited by these three young men are evident at every turn....OWL Trio is one of those records that finds power in quiet expression, not raised volume or aggression. Lund, Vinson and le Fleming make for an absorbing combination"

Will has an international reputation as a leader and sideman. All About Jazz New York describes Will as playing “with a relentless force”. Thomas Michelsen of Denmark’s Politiken, hails this “very exciting saxophonist” with a “beautiful, softly modulating tone”, and John Fordham of The Guardian described a "superb solo of rugged leathery sounds turning into mellifluous high notes” with “secure control and storming energy". Time Out London calls will an "exciting young altoist with a lethal approach to writing and soloing”.

Will has released 6 CD’s as a leader/composer. It’s For You (Sirocco Jazz, 2004) was described as “combining a thoughtful originality of conception with energy and fluidity of execution in very satisfying proportions” (Jazzwise magazine)

Will’s second CD, Promises (NineteenEight Records), was described as “impressive” and “coolly restrained” by Nate Chinen of the New York Times. ​

2010 saw the release of two CD's: The World (Through My Shoes), a live recording was described as "marvelous" by Downbeat and "exhilarating, cascading... outstanding" by Jazz Times. Stockholm Syndrome (Criss Cross) came out in September 2010. 2013 saw the release of Live at Smalls, one of the most successful albums on the Smalls Live label. 2016 saw the release of Will’s debut recording for 5Passion, Perfectly Out of Place, featuring an all-star group: Mike Moreno on guitar, Gonzalo Rubalcaba on piano, Matt Penman on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums. The reviews have been ecstatic. All About Jazz calls it "a marvel of compositional design, textural beauty, and musicality"; Downbeat lauds the "incredibly original" compositions that "challenge the notion of how jazz is defined in this era", Jazzwise describes it as "heart-stopping", and Sterophile Magazine declares Will "one of the best alto saxophonists in Jazz". ​

Will has appeared with his own group and as a sideman in the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Australia and Japan. His musical experience has not been limited to Jazz. Will is a member of Rufus Wainwright’s band, which toured for 10 months in 2007/8. He has also performed, arranged and/ or recorded with Sufjan Stevens, Sean Lennon, Martha Wainwright, Beth Orton and Harper Simon. ​

Will's saxophone playing is executed with incredible power and dramatic sensitivity, and is characterized by his imposing sound and technique; influenced by saxophonists from Cannonball to Chris Potter, he nevertheless brings his own unique approach to every performance. Will's writing, and the playing of his colleagues, combines a great respect for the century-long jazz tradition with explorations into the rhythmic, harmonic and melodic realms of contemporary forms.

Booklet for 441