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Michael Dease: Found in Space - The Music of Gregg Hill

By Bill Milkowski
August 9, 2024
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: Michael Dease: Found in Space - The Music of Gregg Hill

The title itself is revealing. A clever play on words of the old '60s sci-fi show Lost in Space, it immediately suggests an irreverent wit and slightly twisted perspective; qualities that also permeate the unique music of prolific Michigan-based composer Gregg Hill.

How this fairly obscure presence on the national music scene has managed to garner such a fervent following remains a mystery to those of us outside the Great Lakes State. Converts include bassist-educator Rodney Whitaker, Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University who has released three albums dedicated to the music of Gregg Hill, and two fellow MSU faculty members in guitarist

Randy Napoleon

guitar
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Randy Napoleon, who has released two volumes of Gregg Hill music, and trombonist-saxophonist Michael Dease, who has now put out two to date, with plans for a third.

What is it about this 78-year-old composer's music that has attracted so many accomplished, acclaimed musicians to pay homage to him. As Dease explained, "I've never recorded an album of someone else's music, so it's really a leap for me to do this. And I wouldn't do it if I didn't believe in the material."

Count me in on the cult.

Hill's idiosyncratic signature bears a strong resemblance to

Frank Zappa

guitar, electric
1940 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Zappa's more ambitious large ensemble works like The Grand Wazoo (or the posthumously released Wazoo, a 1972 live recording from Boston with a 20-piece ensemble), in that his tunes easily morph from 20th century classical to jazz to rock to Avant-Garde and back again. These very structured, highly contrapuntal pieces unfold in sections with chamber-like intricacy. But like Zappa, Hill also leaves room for significant stretching, with built-in solo sections allowing for maximum exploration.

Dease takes full advantage of that blowing aspect with his band of stellar soloists, including

Rudresh Mahanthappa

saxophone, alto
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Rudresh Mahanthappa,

Virginia MacDonald

clarinet

" data-original-title="" title="">Virginia MacDonald,

Sharel Cassity

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Sharel Cassity,

Jason Hainsworth

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Hainsworth,

Matt White

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt White,

Nanami Haruta

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Nanami Haruta,

Bill Cunliffe

piano
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Cunliffe,

Katie Thiroux

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Katie Thiroux,

Colleen Clark

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Colleen Clark and Dease himself alternating between trombone and baritone sax. The leader's wife, percussionist Gwendolyn Dease, another MSU faculty member, adds to the Zappa-esque flavor of this music with her marimba work recalling the key contributions that former Juilliard percussion major Ruth Underwood made to FZ's adventurous bands of the late '60s and early '70s.

"Gregg Hill is a deep cat," said Dease, whose previous tribute to the composer was 2023's The Other Shoe. "He's done a lot of jobs in his lifetime. He drove an 18-wheeler for a decent stretch, then transitioned into technology and financial field in the '90s. And the whole time he wrote music. And now he's publishing his fifth book of lead sheets of his music. The guy is just prolific."

While the bulk of Dease's recorded output as a leader had been primarily straight ahead, in the tradition of his early trombone role models

Curtis Fuller

trombone
1934 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Curtis Fuller and

J.J. Johnson

trombone
1924 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">J.J. Johnson as well as his Juilliard mentor

Wycliffe Gordon

trombone
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Wycliffe Gordon, things changed when he got introduced to Gregg Hill's singular music through bassist

Rodney Whitaker

bass
b.1968

" data-original-title="" title="">Rodney Whitaker, who called him to play on a couple of tracks from his 2021 tribute album, Outrospection. "Something I really dig about Gregg's writing is that his melodies are direct, they're unpretentious to me and they balance lyricism with a mathematical sense of logic. That's where you get these cellular bits that repeat, that have elements of riff music that could be from the territory band era. But then that riff thing also happened through bebop and fusion, and you hear that connection there. I often find myself singing these little cellular bits. They become earworms, in a sense."

The odd musical shapes and suite-like pieces on Found in Space offer a rich diversity of elements that are both complex and endlessly refreshing. As Dease put it, "There's a lot of beautiful deception in the way his melodies change direction and flow into unusual chord choices."

Take the opener, "The Last Pop Tune," for instance. Arranged by trumpeter White, Dease's longtime colleague going back to their participation together in

Betty Carter

vocals
1929 - 1998

" data-original-title="" title="">Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program in 2002, it's a tricky tune that doesn't sit in one time signature for too long. As Dease explained, "It starts in five and it goes to six very quickly. Then it goes back to five. Then it goes to three, then it's in five again, then it goes to 4/4 for the solos." While following the detailed map of that time-jumping tune, White incorporates lots of counterpoint between woodwinds and brass while also giving free reign for pianist Cunliffe, flutist Cassity and White (on muted trumpet) to explore harmonically on their extended solos. And as Dease pointed out, "The only thing I said to the guys who arranged these tunes was, 'Listen, Gregg's material is great. Leave his material alone and write around it. I don't want our tunes to have just hints of Gregg. This music deserves to be reflected as the composer intended.'"

Pianist Cunliffe switches to Fender Rhodes on the title track, which he also arranged. Opening with some busy contrapuntal conversation on top of his minimalist keyboard motif, it features strong solos from Dease on bari and White on trumpet. "Matt is a very fluid and adventurous soloist," said Dease of the trumpeter. "And he also has the blues and swing in his play, which is kind of what I'm all about. You know, where the past pushes you through to the future." Manhanthappa also wails on alto sax over a walking bass-fueled swing section while Cunliffe turns in a hip Rhodes solo before Dease unleashes on bari at the tag.

"One for Rodney," arranged by Joseph Herbst, is named for staunch Hill supporter Whitaker. Following the quirky "Mission Impossible" meets Monk's "Green Chimneys" opening section, it settles into a swinging piano-bass-drums section that showcases bassist Thiroux's solo prowess. As the eccentric tune progresses, it showcases some fiercely unbridled alto sax trading between Mahanthappa and Cassity (her lone track here on alto) over a surging band ostinato. And Clark wails over the top of some simultaneous soloing near the end of this most complex number.

"The Stray Moonduck," named for a lone duck spotted one night on the pond near Hill's home in East Lansing, Michigan, is a beautiful showcase for both Dease's earthy, blues-drenched trombone chops and Haruta's more sensitive approach on trombone. "I did the intro and solo first, then that's Nanami on a second trombone solo," explained the leader. "That's not something that happens much. Two trombone players don't usually share solos unless it's a Jay and Kai type thing (a reference to the 1957 Columbia album featuring trombonists J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding going toe-to-toe). But I felt like our strengths fit these different areas of improvisation on this piece. The guttural, raunchy area of trombone is a forte of mine and the more introspective side, that's right in Nanami's wheelhouse. So I thought it made a lot of sense to let her shine in that more nuanced situation."

Dease added that he met the promising 22-year-old trombonist Haruta while on tour in Japan. "She was working seven nights a week in Tokyo and I convinced her to come to Michigan State, get a two-year degree and then get more well-known in the States. She's fantastic and has already been doing great things."

"The Puppet Thief," arranged by Cunliffe, is a dynamic Kenton-ish big band offering with allusions to Duke Pearson's "Jeannine" along the way. Bassist Thiroux turns in an outstanding solo full of double stops and melodic invention (as on "One for Rodney," you can faintly hear her scatting simultaneously along with her improvised lines). And Cunlilffe takes off on a Rhodes solo here against her steady walking bass lines. MacDonald's flute solo further elevates the proceedings, then Hainsworth enters with some potent tenor statements played in conversation against brass and woodwinds.

The New Orleans flavored "Rue De Royal," arranged by Hainsworth, finds drummer Clark laying down a laid back, syncopated second line groove against a patented Professor Longhair rhumba boogie motif. With Dease on bari, some heated exchanges with trumpeter White ensue before Mahanthappa enters the picture, blowing with Bird-like facility and white-hot intensity over Clark's "Poinciana"-like beat. "I liken Rudresh to one of the great painters," said Dease. "He's able to create all this imagery with the decisions that he makes on his horn. And he finds a way to disguise his amazing technique. That's something I feel is a challenge on the saxophone and the trumpet—instruments that are known for showcasing a lot of chops. It's easy to get distracted by the level of technical mastery on those instruments. But with Rudresh, you always leave remembering the experience and not the execution."

Gwendolyn Dease's marimba on the Zappa-like "Chillin' with Wess," arranged by Herbst and named for alto saxophonist Wessell "Warmdaddy" Anderson, again triggers memories of Ruth Underwood. Haruta and Hainsworth engage in some animated, rapid-fire trading between trombone and tenor sax on this mellow vehicle before MacDonald once again takes off on an unrestrained flight. Dease recalled that he first discovered the clarinetist, who had previously played on his 'The Other Shoe,' through her video clips on social media. "I was blown away when I heard her on Facebook. She had posted herself playing along to Charlie Parker's 'Embraceable You' solo. And I thought she sounded great. To me, she really captures on the clarinet a lot of the nuances that the saxophone can have. So I reached out to her and said, 'I want to find a way for us to work together.' That's how 'The Other Shoe' came about. And when I was thinking of expanding the horns for this project, Virginia definitely had to be in the mix. She's just a monster."

"Anthem" is another showcase for Dease's considerable prowess on the baritone sax, an instrument he's only recently picked up (documented for the first time on 2023's 'Swing Low'). "I feel like I have a different tone and different ideas on the bari," he said. "So it really feels like an alter ego." Following an earthy ostinato that features Cassity freelancing on flute, Dease plays unisons on the head with trombonist Haruta. Clarinetist MacDonald and alto burner Mahanthappa also both turn in outstanding solos on this brooding number.

"Nostalgia," arranged by Dease, opens with a formidable ostinato bass figure with Clark wailing on the kit before it settles into a lighter Brazilian vibe that flutist Cassity sails over with melodic ingenuity. Trombonist Haruta, pianist Cunliffe and bassist Thiroux also deliver impressive solos on this inviting number. "This one combines a lot of different flavors into one vehicle," explained the leader. "So you get the driving push at the beginning, then this contrast between the straight eighth rockish feel of the band with the swinging melody on top. And from there it goes into a bossa nova section for the flute solo. I've played so many songs that for whatever reason stay in the same stylistic zip code, and I think it's a risk when you shift styles. But in this case the band approached it fearlessly, and the development of the style imbues it with a sense of drama that I don't hear a lot in chamber ensembles like this. So it shows everyone being 150% committed to the trajectory of this song."

The collection closes with "A Wrinkle in Time," another tune arranged by White, which is book-ended by some atonal blasts of free jazz. In between, the piece slowly evolves from a quasi-classical theme to a slamming backbeat before giving way to a solo section that features a series of potent 16-bar statements from each member of the ensemble. Dease's extended two-minute trombone solo midway through is a highlight of this suite-like piece that comes off as Zappa's Grand Wazoo meets Andrew Hill's Big Band at Mingus' house.

Every track on Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill underscores the progress that Dease has made in his ever-evolving career. As he explained, "When I first came to New York in 2001, I was in a straight-ahead lane. I played in the

Illinois Jacquet

saxophone, tenor
1922 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Illinois Jacquet Big Band,

Jimmy Heath

saxophone, tenor
1926 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Heath Big Band and the

Dizzy Gillespie

trumpet
1917 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. And when I joined

Charles Tolliver

trumpet
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Tolliver's band in 2009 and was getting to hear how things opened up with the Strata East stuff and was hearing that freedom, it actually pushed me towards checking out Zappa and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and I got deeper into Mingus. Then working with Nick Payton's big band opened my horizons even further, because Nick was comfortable working outside of mainstream jazz influences. So this has been a direction I have been wanting to go in for a long time. And now it feels incredibly liberating and just full of maximum enjoyment to really go there."

Dease's latest step in his ongoing journey is not only a fitting tribute to the idiosyncratic genius of Gregg Hill, it's another rung up the ladder of self-discovery.

Liner Notes copyright ? 2025 Bill Milkowski.

Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill can be purchased here.

Contact Bill Milkowski at All About Jazz.
Bill Milkowski is the author of "Jaco: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Jaco Pastorius"

Track Listing

The Last Pop Tune; Found in Space; One for Rodney; The Stray Moonduck; The Puppet Thief; Rue De Royal; Chillin With Wess; Anthem; Nostalgia; A Wrinkle in Time.

Personnel

Michael Dease

trombone

Sharel Cassity

saxophone

Virginia MacDonald

clarinet

Rudresh Mahanthappa

saxophone, alto

Jason Hainsworth

saxophone, tenor

Matt White

trumpet

Nanami Haruta

trombone

Bill Cunliffe

piano

Katie Thiroux

bass

Colleen Clark

drums

Gwendolyn Dease

percussion

Album information

Title: Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Origin Records

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