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2020 in 8 tracks
Like most musicians, I had a pretty uneventful year. But I did get some music out there. Here are 8 of my favorite tracks I played on that were released this year. I’m happy to have these out in the world.
“Bad Rap” - Kelly Jones
Kelly Jones is my wifey. She’s also one of the greatest musicians I know. Her songwriting is smart and thorough. Her voice is soulful. And she’s a kick-ass guitar player. This is our daughter’s favorite song on the 4-songer Big Dogs Die Young.
“Parallax” - Matt Mayhall & Dan Rosenboom
Dan and I had talked about making a drums n’ trumpet duo album for at least ten years. We finally did it in August of 2019. When we recorded I was in the middle of reading Val Wilmer’s As Serious As Your Life, an incredible on-the-ground account of the avant garde jazz scene in New York in the 1960s. The music of Milford Graves, Rashied Ali, and Sunny Murray was fresh in my ears at the time. It was fitting. Dan is a born and bred avant garde musician. His first trumpet teacher was Wadada Leo Smith. As a child, he got to listen to his father play duo with Anthony Braxton while he played with his toys in the other room. I’m really proud of what we captured. “Parallax” might be one of my favorite drum performances on record.
“Witness Mark” - Paul Bryan
Paul’s record was the culmination of 10 months of playing every Tuesday night at ETA in Highland Park. All the music we recorded was developed and workshopped there, and we really got to drill down on the kind of players we wanted to be. Such an invaluable experience. I think this was the first track we did in the studio… I remember feeling like I didn’t really have my bearings yet. But listening back, I love it.
“TV Baby” - Paul Bryan
This was my one contribution to the session as a composer. To me, this song feels like I didn’t write it. I swear this melody exists somewhere and I’ve just unwittingly plagiarized it. But I feel like this one shows me getting better at writing chords and forms that feel good to play over. Lee Pardini’s solo is perfect.
“Longview, TX” - Matt Mayhall, Jeff Parker, Chris Speed
The first proper track on Fanatics and hence the one that has the most plays. I also had a video made for it. The music on my first record Tropes had a lot of chords in it. This time around, I wanted to write more “lines” and experiment with textures and open spaces a bit more. So this one is a unison line with no chords, followed by a fun and kinda-dumb-in-a-good-way vamp to blow over.
“Heliotrope” - Matt Mayhall, Jeff Parker, Chris Speed
A few of the tunes on Fanatics are born out of improvised moments I transcribed from a recording of the three of us playing a live improv gig. The melody of "Heliotrope" was one such moment. Jeff played a line during an unaccompanied solo that really struck me; it was so simple and logical and song-like, as his improvisations often are. I took that, and had to compose a tail-end to it to kind of round it out. I harmonized it, and this is the result.
“Yr” - Matt Mayhall, Jeff Parker, Chris Speed
Listening to the playback after we tracked this one, Paul said “This is like Talk Talk jazz.” BINGO. This is my favorite track on the record. I think it unfolds perfectly.
“Remedy” - Emm Gryner
My one “L.A. Session Cat” offering in the bunch. Emm is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multiple Juno Award nominee, and former David Bowie band member. I did most of the drums on a record of hers called Northern Gospel about ten years ago. This one, produced by my good friend Joe Corcoran, is a simple bossa w brushes with some triangle overdubbed onto it. Turned out nice!
FANATICS reviewed in Something Else!
“Matt Mayhall went for an instinctual approach with Fanatics, took a few chances and with the right guys to assist him, emerges triumphal.”
BIG DOGS DIE YOUNG - NEW 4-SONG E.P. from KELLY JONES
This EP is dedicated to Adam Schlesinger. Thank you for your consistent encouragement and your support of these tracks. You'll always be missed.
credits
released October 2, 2020
Recorded with Taylor Locke at the Velveteen Lab in Los Angeles, CA.
Drums performed by Matt Mayhall.
All other instruments performed by Kelly Jones & Taylor Locke.
Mixed by Taylor Locke at the Velveteen Lab in Los Angeles, CA.
Mastered by Bijan Sharifi.
Artwork by B Side Graphics.
license
all rights reserved
NEW ALBUM - Matt Mayhall & Dan Rosenboom, LANGUAGE
Matt Mayhall - Drums
Dan Rosenboom - Bb Trumpet, C Cornet, Electronics
The association of trumpet and drums is as old as civilization itself. Ancient instruments of both proclamation and celebration, they have evolved together and influenced the development of musical language in tandem. Likewise, throughout the modern history of improvised music, duos of horn players and drummers have stretched the limits of sound and form, and reached for an elemental approach to spontaneous musical conversation. With LANGUAGE, drummer Matt Mayhall and trumpeter Dan Rosenboom pay homage to this rich tradition championed by many of their respective heroes, and present a stunning duo debut.
Mayhall and Rosenboom have been close collaborators for well over a decade, and through a variety of recording projects and ensembles have developed a refined sense of spontaneous communication, on full display here. Both have been internationally recognized for their individual releases. Indeed, they each released acclaimed albums earlier this year featuring some of the modern jazz world’s premiere performers. Mayhall’s trio album FANATICS features woodwind ace Chris Speed, and guitar legend Jeff Parker, and Rosenboom’s mammoth ABSURD IN THE ANTHROPOCENE features a long list of heavyweights, including Vinnie Colaiuta, Tim Lefebvre, David Binney, Gary Novak, Zach Danziger, Jeff Babko, and many more.
On LANGUAGE, Mayhall and Rosenboom bring their music home, so to speak. The pair first began playing together as a duo in 2007, and through their various exploits have landed on a sound that is utterly personal and distinct. Weaving through both compositions and free improvisations, they achieve a remarkable fluidity through a keen understanding of restraint and dynamism. The album opens with “Overt,” a boldly improvised overture, before launching into the romping Mayhall original, “Longview, TX.” They also weave beautifully between completely acoustic playing and dense electronics. On “Nuclear Lemons,” Rosenboom digs into the swirling and distorted sound world of his pedal effects, only to bring it back to an incredibly delicate and tender acoustic feel on “A Small Good.” “Parallax” is a Rosenboom original from the group’s 2007 inception, where Mayhall’s fiery drums unfold dramatically as Rosenboom spins a lengthy continuous melody. “Nothing Comes On Tuesday” harkens to band’s roots in punk and grunge, with Rosenboom’s pedals blaring through heavy distortion. “Polychrome” serves as a spastic, exciting fanfare that leads seamlessly into the up-tempo Rosenboom burner, “Vortex.” “On The Way” recalls an ancient feel with distant drums, as the band marches forward with relentless creativity, before they close with the enigmatic and pensive ballad, “Plum Child.”
Throughout LANGUAGE, the listener is keenly aware of a unified sense of purpose and an almost ESP-like connection between Mayhall and Rosenboom. The great horn-and-drums duos of the free jazz canon are present like ghosts, as this pair pushes forward toward their own vision for the idiom. LANGUAGE is an album for both enjoyment and contemplation — there is a lot to unpack in the concept and presentation, but the flow across this beautiful record is enticing and exciting. Orenda Records is proud to present this powerful recorded debut by this pair of modern trailblazers.
credits
released May 1, 2020
"Longview, TX" composed by Matt Mayhall
"Parallax," "Nothing Comes On Tuesday," "Vortex," and "Plum Child" composed by Daniel Rosenboom (ASCAP), © Daniel Rosenboom Music (ASCAP), 2020
"Overt," "Nuclear Lemons," "A Small Good," "Polychrome," and "On The Way" co-composed by Matt Mayhall and Daniel Rosenboom
Recorded August 17-18, 2019 at BoomHill Studio
Sound Engineered and Mixed by Dan Rosenboom
Mastered by Sam Minaie at biRDfOOd sound, NYC
Album Artwork by Jamie Breiwick, B Side Graphics
©℗ Orenda Records, 2020
ORENDA RECORDS 0082
www.orendarecords.com
license
all rights reserved
NEW ALBUM - Paul Bryan's CRI$EL GEMS
FANATICS featured in STEREOGUM!
NEW ALBUM - FANATICS
"Fanatics" is the sophomore solo effort by Los Angeles drummer and composer Matt Mayhall. This time out, Mayhall leads a trio with two towering figures of modern improvised music: guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise, Brian Blade Fellowship) and tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Chris Speed (Human Feel, Endangered Blood, Claudia Quintet). Grammy-winning producer Paul Bryan (Aimee Mann, Meshell Ndegeocello) produced, engineered, and mixed the sessions.
Mayhall has placed himself squarely within a burgeoning improvisational music scene in Los Angeles that rivals that of any city’s in the world. In addition to playing in West Coast bands led by his cohorts Parker and Speed, he has worked alongside many jazz heavyweights including bassists Tim Lefebvre and Eric Revis, trumpeter Ralph Alessi, Kneebody keyboardist Adam Benjamin, and guitarist Anthony Wilson. But Mayhall is a player whose professional duties have taken him well outside the jazz world, touring with The Both - a power-pop trio with Aimee Mann and Ted Leo, with Mann in support of her Grammy-winning album "Mental Illness," and with folk singer Dar Williams. He also spent several years in Josh Haden’s alt-country/slow-core band Spain.
With "Fanatics," Mayhall continues his exploration of the same woozy atmospheric textures, lush harmonies, and skittering rhythms that earned him critical acclaim on his debut album, "Tropes" (Skirl Records, 2016). But while "Tropes" eschewed conventional jazz improvisation in favor of tight, cinematic statements, "Fanatics" is a decidedly more freewheeling, less backbeat-driven affair. Mayhall states:
“'Fanatics' is basically a blowing record. Jeff and Chris are such distinctive, great improvisers. Both of them have achieved what seems to me to be the ultimate goal of every jazz musician, which is to have an instantly recognizable sound. I wanted to honor that and have that be the focus of the record.”
There are some “tunes,” like Mayhall’s glacial jazz ballad “Heliotrope” and Charlie Parker’s “Dewey Square.” But form and meter go out the window in favor of energetic group improvisation on cuts like “Polly and Elton” and “The Fanatics.” “Longview, TX,” the album’s opener, has Speed and Parker trading phrases over a riff in 6/4 time while Mayhall holds it down and makes his presence felt at just the right moments. Atmosphere and melody are explored to the hilt on the drone-like “Yr,” Mayhall’s personal favorite track.
credits
released February 7, 2020
Matt Mayhall - drums & percussion
Jeff Parker - guitar
Chris Speed - tenor saxophone and clarinet
recorded in May and Sept 2019 at Mayberry PCH
engineered, produced, and mixed by Paul Bryan
mastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters
all songs (c)2019 Matt Mayhall Songs, BMI
except "Dewey Square" by Charlie Parker
album art by Jamie Breiwick @ B Side Graphics
www.bsidegraphics.com