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Mentioning
Hess' lack of exposure seems prerequisite
in almost every review of his work, and
once heard, it's perplexing why he hasn't
been afforded greater acclaim. An
excellent tunesmith with a superb backing
ensemble, this adept improviser has all
the makings of a burgeoning
master.
Troy
Collins - All About Jazz
From
photos and correspondence, Hess strikes me
as the sort of person who stresses a
congenial and self-effacing outlook both
on an off the bandstand. His good-natured
mien makes his music even more appealing
and it is a mindset that seems
increasingly uncommon these days with
certain musicians and critics continually
staking cocky claim to their tiny pieces
of the creative improvised music pie. The
edifying benefits of such a healthy
perspective toward life and art are
accessible all over this
disc.
Derek
Taylor - Bagatellen.com
Going
back at least to Extended Family (2003),
through Long and Short of It (2004), and
into last year's Crossed Paths (all on
Tapestry), Hess has been making stunningly
beautiful free jazz sounds with his horn
and his bands. With the horn, every single
solo is a buffed-up gem, a mix of pinpoint
precision and freewheeling elan; the band
walks a line between freedom and control,
counterpoint and unison sounds, elasticity
and tight grooves.
Dan
McClenaghan - All About
Jazz
After
two fine albums with his quartet (Ron
Miles, Ken Filiano and Matt Wilson), tenor
saxophonist Fred Hess has made it a
quintet by adding alto saxophonist Mark
Harris, and the result is the group's
strongest album to date. How 'Bout Now is
a state-of-the-art update on the noble
tradition of Ornette's classic Atlantic
dates, featuring some of Hess's most
outlandishly imaginative small-group
writing: elaborately worked five-way
counterpoint married to a stop-start
rhythmic sensibility that sends little
shockwaves through every
bar.
Nate
Dorward - Paris TransAtlantic
Magazine
Saxophonist
Fred Hess shows no signs of caring about
stardom or fame or any of the other forces
that drive so many of his fellow
musicians. He's more concerned with
nudging his work forward day by day, month
by month, recording by recording -- and
his latest disc, How 'Bout Now, documents
his progress.
Michael
Roberts - Westword
LISTEN
TO SOOZ BLOOZ
Saxophonist
Fred Hess shows no signs of caring about
stardom or fame or any of the other forces
that drive so many of his fellow
musicians. He's more concerned with
nudging his work forward day by day, month
by month, recording by recording -- and
his latest disc, How 'Bout Now, documents
his progress.Saxophonist Hess doesn't do
reviewers any favors. Rather than create
discs
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