March 2008 Time Out New York
"Bassist Shayna Dulberger has become an important presence on the local free-jazz scene. " |
2008 Downtown Music Gallery
Downtown Music Gallery Review: Featuring Jonathan Moritz & Marcus Cummins on saxes, Ryan Snow on trombone, Chris Welcome on guitar & cello, Shayna Dulberger on acoustic bass and Juan Pablo Carletti & John McLellan on drums. I only recognize a couple of the names here like the young bassist Shayna Dulberger from her work with Ras Moshe and William Parker and John McLellan fom his work with Joe McPhee. I do recognize a few of the faces from being at the store as well. Considering that this ensemble consists of seven members with two saxes, two drums and trombone, guitar and bass, they do sound quite focused without everyone playing at the same time. Actually four of the members have contributed songs, so that this is not just a free-form fight. The first piece "Into Pieces" sounds as if it was conducted and is chamber-like. The layers of parts consist of different subgroups coming together with different harmonies glowing simultaneously. Each piece employs a different strategy of structure, although the pieces often unfold organically. "Septagon" sounds as if it is flows in slow motion. The under-recognized but great new bassist, Shayna Dulberger, sounds especially strong throughout this disc. Her piece, "Year of the Pig" swings, swirls and goes in and outside all in the space of six minutes. The thing I dig most about this disc is that everyone who contributed a piece, did something quite different. "Salome" features dreamy sax harmonies, elegant guitar and nice brushwork. A good deal of thought and preparation went into organizing this disc, hence there are a number of quiet and odd surprises in store. The E.R.A. is a most talented collective of individuals that shouldn't be ignored, since their time has certainly come. - BLG
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ALL ABOUT JAZZ May 2008 Chris Welcome "Quartet"
Review by Terrell Kent Holmes.
The eleven tracks here seem to be painted as much as played and the music is sometimes about effects as much as notes. The sequential numbering of these spare compositions, all penned by guitarist/ leader Chris Welcome, recalls the method of numbering paintings in a series, thus underscoring the artistic parallel. The songs revolve mostly around the sax work of Jonathan Moritz, whose brooding ruminations on soprano and tenor unfold slowly while Welcome, bassist Shayna Dulberger and drummer John McLellan fill the spaces on the canvas behind him with spirited, laconic riffs. For his part, Moritz sometimes breathes into his mouthpiece for effect before playing and his clever use of harmonics, the upper register and atonality serve as the album's thematic foundation. There are a few moments, however, when the band falls into more conventional playing. "#4" has a free jazz bent that recalls Ornette Coleman; Welcome plays rapid-fire riffs like a man unshackled, his single note lines sounding sharp enough to break the strings. On "#3" Moritz' skyscraping soprano mimics a flute and Dulberger's arco on "#8+15+6" moans somewhere between an Indian raga and a Tibetan monk chant. These moments of inventive mimicry widen the scope of the performances and raise the album above the level of plainness. The atmosphere ranges from somber to lively to almost forbidding. The songs are carefully crafted and played by a group of distinct and talented musicians who manage to convey their unique and cohesive message amidst the mysterious, stark landscapes.
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Summer 2007 Signal to Noise #46
Jay Collins "Transcendence Review"
Brooklyn-based reedist Ras Moshe has made a name for himself over the past several years as an active member of Brooklyn's Free Jazz Society with his own Music Now Society (sic). Here, Moshe offers his strongest outing yet, proving himself a player of depth and focus, favoring round edges and a flowing legato style. For Transcendence, Moshe has assembled a quartet consisting of guitarist Dave Ross, bassist Shayna Dulberger and drummer Rashid Bakr for nine compositions, six of which were penned by Moshe. They carry the influence of his interest in positivity and spirituality, mixing in straightforwardness and fiery intensity, with most of the music using theme-solo-restatement to incite improvisation. It is this diversity that sets Moshe apart, by eschewing the concept of nine slices of vapid modality or bashing, rudderless improv, rather, the group is comfortable in diverse settings. The opener, "Transcendence" is an example of the group's midtempo swing, with a melodic string that sticks in one's head, though Bakr sounds somewhat clunky in this setting. Along similar constructs, the fluid thoughts of "All Flow" reflect Moshe's introspective and melodic devices, with a strong solo from Dulberger. Moshe's highmarks, especially in terms of solos, emerges during the crescendos of the waltz-based "Sun Room," as well as the spiritual realms of "Far Sight" and the hushed, AEC-like flute/percussionistic "Flute Peace For Charles Llloyd." Workouts like the searching "If You See Something, Say Something," Dulberger's sprightly "Turtles All The Way Down" and the obvious ode to the Coltrane/Ali duets from the sixties, "Interstellar Brooklyn," all represents Bakr's best playing of the record, with his rolling style that fits the forward momentum generated. The real find here is Ross. With s moody timbre and a wicked sense of percussive prickliness, the guitarist's harmonics glisten on "Far Sight," soar on the elliptical dots of "All Flow" and undulate on his potent "Carol Not Christmas."
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9/17/07 Time Out New York
Led by bassist Shayna Dulberger, the Kill Me Trio is one of the stronger avant-jazz groups we’ve heard in some time. Dulberger, saxist Darius Jones and drummer Jason Nazary really let their music breathe—it’s tension-filled but always agile and never anxious, reminding us of classic units such as Henry Threadgill’s Air.
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7/7/07 Downtown Music Gallery
Bruce Lee Gallanter TheKillMeTrio review
When this low-key, but friendly young woman showed to play acoustic bass with Ras Moshe over the past year, I was amazed at how confident and creative her playing was/is at such a young age. Shayna's playing on the most recent disc from Ras, "Transcendence", is immensely probing and now here goes with her first disc as a leader and main composer. The oddly named TheKillMe Trio features another auspicious player named Darius Jones, who has worked with Mike Pride & William Hooker. What I dig about this disc is the way trio is so centered and well recorded with Shayna's propulsive contrabass leading the way. Four of these pieces are group improvisations and they are all intense, free and fully formed. "Improvisation II" captures the spirit of sixties free jazz with some scary bowed bass, squealing sax and swirling drums telegraphing the free structure. The other six pieces composed by Shayna are often free sounding, yet always have some inner logic or subliminal structure. On "Killher", the bass provides a central theme that begins freely and goes through different sections with great funky groove in one part as Darius shreds on his alto sax throughout the changing scenery. "Post Explosion" is a stark, suspenseful piece with the bass creating the immense drama as the sax and drums simmer and sizzle. "Myopia" is similarly structured with the bass repeating a few hypnotic notes over and over while the sax sails and squeals over the top. This is certainly a strong trio offering from a fine new trio that we should be hearing a lot about in the near future. - BLG (Downtown Music Gallery)
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6/4/07 All About Jazz
Robert Iannapollo Transcendence Review
Saxophonist Ras Moshe has been gradually making a name for himself as one of the best of the fiery saxophonists of the New York underground. He's released a series of limited edition live recordings on the Utech label that have impressed those who have heard them (unfortunately a small number of people). Now comes Transcendence on the Kordova Milkbar label, not much more high profile than Utech but I suspect they may be a little more readily available.
Transcendence is a quartet date with Moshe's working group featuring Dave Ross (guitar), Shayna Dulberger (bass) and Rashid Bakr (drums). On this disc, Moshe proves himself to be a saxophonist very much in the tradition. Those who scoff at that idea are those who have yet to come to grips with the idea that the tradition now includes John Coltrane, Albert Ayler and Archie Shepp. While Moshe clearly derives inspiration from these players, his sound is unique: dry, a bit tart, with a strong booming presence in the lower registers.
The surprise of this disc is Ross who obviously listened to Sonny Sharrock and whose fast strumming, when dueling with Moshe during the disc's several collective interludes, recalls that past innovator. He also has a ringing tone that frequently fleshes out the quartet sound in a unique, almost orchestral manner. Dulberger is a powerful force in the lower end. Her presence, frequently a low growling rumble, bristles with energy and gives the music its forward momentum. Bakr's multi- directional drumming is as effective as when he stoked the fires of the Cecil Taylor Unit 25 years ago.
The program consists of nine diverse compositions: two by Ross, one by Dulberger and the rest by Moshe. The leader's title track alternates between a medium tempo swing and a slow balladic section. "If You See Something, Say Something" is a free jazz blowout, short, to the point and clearly articulated. Ross' "Sun Room" starts as a pleasant, relaxed waltz that builds wonderfully to an intense peak in what is perhaps the best group performance on the disc, Moshe really digging in on this track. With Transcendence Moshe's quartet stakes its claim to being one of the more exciting groups on the scene.
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4/9/07 Downtown Music Gallery
Bruce Lee Gallanter Transcendence Review
This the 7th disc as a leader from our good friend and local jazz
historian, Ras Moshe, featuring Ras on tenor sax and flute, Dave Ross
on guitar, Shayna Dulberger on contrabass and Rashid Bakr on drums. I
am not familiar with the guitarist, Dave Ross, on this disc, but Ms. Dulberger has been playing with Ras for the last year and seems to be
involved in a few other projects. Rashid Bakr is certainly one of
downtown's best drummers, having played with Other Dimensions in Music
and for Cecil Taylor. Recorded & mixed exactly 3 months ago today
(January 4th of this year), with pieces by Ras, two by Dave and one by
Shayna. The title piece opens this disc and has a fine jazz melody
that is easy to remember, quite a bit straighter than most discs by
Mr. Moshe. Dave Ross takes a most impressive, free guitar solo that is
overflowing with ideas. Ras has matured through the years and has made
a most impressive free/jazz quartet effort that sounds powerful and
inspired throughout. "Sun Room" has a warm and sunny melody with Dave
playing some strong, hypnotic chords that build as Ras takes a
powerful tenor solo. "Flute Piece for Charles Lloyd" begins with
everyone playing bells, cymbals and small percussion as Ras plays some
somber flute. "All Flow" features a most haunting melody with a fine
bass solo from Shayna, a superb tenor solo from Ras and superb
swirling drums from Rashid. Considering that I hadn't heard of
guitarist Dave Ross before this disc, I must admit that he is one the
best avant/jazz guitarists I've heard in a while. Both he and Ras work
so well together, swirling their lines of notes around one another in
an amazing well-connected tapestry. Acoustic bassist, Shayna
Dulberger, is another important new musician to watch, she takes a
number of amazing solos on this disc that show her to be a new force
to be reckoned with. What more can I say about the great Rashid Bakr,
except that he is sadly under-recorded and plays wonderfully
throughout this entire great disc. An excellent offering, from
beginning to the righteous end.
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3/30/07 KFJC 89.7 FM
Max Level Transcendence Review
Ras Moshe (reeds, flute) and company represent the Brooklyn style of
jazz ("lots of sun and peace!" he says) on this fine 2007 studio
effort. He has his own style on tenor sax, tending to play with a
relatively smooth, non-raspy tone, but he can definitely take it
outside when the situation calls for it. Veteran drummer Rashid Bakr
has played with many of jazz's big names,and this group benefits
greatly from his first-rate touch and timing. Bassist Shayna Dulberger
is new to me, and, as young as she is, she handles her tasks
admirably. Sometimes, though, I wish she was a bit higher in the mix;
when all four members are playing together, it can be hard to hear
her. Guitarist Dave Ross provides a wide variety of jazz and
not-exactly-jazz sounds that are right at home in this outfit; he does
a nice job with mellow jazz chords and gently chiming harmonics, and
he also unleashes rippling Sharrock-like bursts that really light a
fire under the band. Standout tracks are:#1 is a sweet and swinging
tune featuring Moshe's tenor, with some wild guitar/bass/drums soloing
in the middle. #5 is a Charles Lloyd-like flute/percussion peace
piece.
#8 is a blazing tenor sax/drums duet that threatens to tear the damned
roof off.
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3/9/07 Jazz & Tzaz Greek Magazine
Vangelis Aragiannis "TheKillMeTrio" Review
Shayna Dulberger: "TheKillMeTrio" (Self Produced)The 23-year-old New Yorker Shayna Dulberger does not comply with the trendy model of women in jazz. She does not play the piano, nor does she sing. Her music is not suitable for dancing, or for lounging and chilling out. Her instrument is the double bass; she plays free jazz, has collaborated with Daniel Carter and Jackson Krall, and among her main influences are Peter Kowald, William Parker and Peter Brotzmann. For her debut CD she selected a small group with Darius Jones on alto sax and Jason Nazary on drums, that is a pianoless trio, appropriate for free improvising. "The KillMe Trio", raw and raucous, just like its name, goes to the limit without being chaotic. From the 30 seconds of "Zeek" to the 9 minutes of "Myopia" - all tracks were first takes recorded live at the studio in the same order as they were put on the CD - the bass lines flow like a river from Dulberger's fingers, Darius Jones' blowing is massive, powerful and full of wild beauty and Nazary's rhythm is thunderous. At the closing track, the low toned and melodic "I Wish I Was", the bassist in loose and calm mood, sounds like wishing she had not to release all this energy from her. Both of her sides are equally interesting.
Shayna Dulberger on "The KillMe Trio": Jason (Nazary) and Darius (Jones) have the energy and soul of my favorite musicians and the creativity and desire for different harmonies and different time feels. I found this very challenging. So naming the band "Kill Me" was like saying "come on, challenge me. I believe that in order to grow you need to challenge yourself. I have challenged myself by forming this trio with these advanced and gifted musicians and also by composing and arranging for the group. I learned that from musicians like Bach, Coltrane, and Miles. They all wrote compositions that helped them get to the next level. When we perform all of the compositions we perform the songs in this order like a suite. This helps to control energy. Since it is mainly a free jazz band I needed to figure out a way to have some control in very short parts but to still maintain that crazy energy from improvised music and free jazz.
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1/10/07 Free-Jazz for the 21st Century
Lane Stephens TheKillMeTrio Review
Anachronistic yet visionary. TheKillMeTrio dip from the deepest of free-jazz wells and come up with buckets of overflowing goodness; echoing such masters as Coleman, Ayler and Lowe. Don't get me wrong, The KillMeTrio are just as creative as they are steeped in tradition. In this recipe they mix in their own special blend of well- honed neo-jazz, as well as a bit of punk attitude. And while TheKillMeTrio are talented, they don't let that get in their way too much.
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8/10/06 All About Jazz New York
Ty Cumbie Wound Unwound and Within Review
Talented musicians seem to arrive in New York by the busload every day. In fact, the music schools, local and otherwise, are churning them out yearly and depositing them unceremoniously onto the mean streets of this city, where they compete for scanty gigs and elusive attention. Two recent arrivals, bassist Shayna Dulberger and guitarist/cellist Chris Welcome, have quickly carved out spots on the underground scene by playing lots of low-paying gigs and pouring their hearts into every one.
They teamed up with the unique, underappreciated drummer John McLellan and recorded the results on Wound Unwound and Within, a set of thoughtful, fussy improvised pieces in the Derek Bailey tradition. These five interesting tracks are good listening, though they lack somewhat in variety.
Dulberger and Welcome, both relatively young musicians, play with maturity and poise. Dulberger’s playing is intensely energetic, reminiscent of the terrific Adam Lane’s style. Welcome plays a hollow body jazz guitar with no effects. His style is more brain than emotion, with occasional flurries that recall Dom Minasi. McLellan, known for an unparalleled use of space, plays busier than usual here, which is to say less busy than just about any drummer alive.
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6/16/06 Cadence Magazine
Troy Collins Wound Unwound and Within Review
A brief studio session featuring three young improvisers from Brooklyn’s creative music scene, WOUND UNWOUND AND WITHIN (Chris Welcome, no#) consists of a short five part suite (Parts one through five. 25:01. November 16, 2006, no location listed) featuring guitarist CHRIS WELCOME, upright bassist SHAYNA DULBERGER,
and drummer JOHN McLELLAN. Although Dulberger and Welcome’s discography is still limited, McLellan has appeared on Mat Maneri’s recent electric Milesian melt-down, Pentagon (Thirsty Ear), and also in a duet with iconic multiinstrumentalist Joe McPhee on the excellent Grand Marquis (Boxholder). Though the line-up technically mirrors the classic Jazz guitar trio, there are no typical conventions embraced. Subtle call and response, shifting roles of accompanist versus soloist, and nuanced dynamic shifts in timbre and tone dominate. Welcome and Dulberger alternate lead and rhythm duties while McLellan acts as colorist as often as rhythmic foundation. Welcome uses a clean, classic guitar tone, plucking out hushed chords one minute, jagged, blistering lines the next. Dulberger plays her upright bass with a sinewy, resonant quality,
plucking out energetic walking patterns as well as possessing a terse, acerbic bowing style. McLellan varies his attack from delicate cymbal washes to machine gun snare volleys, modulating the intensity level of the trio. More understated than overt, the subtle variations lend a cohesive contour to the shifting dynamics of the five part suite, with the long third section the most reticent. Wound Unwound And Within is a study in subtle shadings, not extremes. The modulations in timbre, rhythm, and attack all sound derived from close-knit call and response. As such, they demonstrate themselves to be excellent listeners with no hesitation in regard to their respective accompaniment or lead statements. The most egregious problem with the disc is its limited run time. In the context of this short suite however, these three prove themselves blessed with great potential.
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2006 Jazz Music Director. 89.3 WNUR
Justin Glick Wound Unwound and Within Review
A self-released album by three virtual unknowns, “Wound Unwound and Within” is an impressive piece of free improvisation. The disc is divided into 5 parts (conveniently labeled Part 1-5) and each sounds as if it were given a thematic base from which the musicians improvise. It’s impossible to tell as there are no liner notes, but each part sounds distinct and directionalized. The spotlight never focuses on any one musician and this equality among players is emphasized by the mixing which puts each instrument on level ground as far as volume is concerned. Overall, this is a very solid, if not exhilarating, album of contemporary free improv.
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