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Chuck Owen: Renderings

By Pierre Giroux
August 23, 2023
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Renderings by

Chuck Owen

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Chuck Owen and The WDR Big Band is a remarkable jazz album that showcases the artist's mastery as a composer, arranger and bandleader. This release stands as a testament to Owen's innovative approach to jazz music blending traditional elements with modern influences to create a unique and captivating sonic experience.

The album title is an apt description of the musical approach taken by Owen, as he focuses on the works by other composers along with reprises from his own earlier work. Consequently, each track is like a musical canvas that he skillfully paints with a rich palette of harmonies, rhythms and textures. The process begins with Owen's new composition " Knife's Edge" which is pushed along at an exuberant pace by drummer

Hans Dekker

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Hans Dekker. Tenor saxophonist

Paul Heller

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Heller and trumpeter

Andy Haderer

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Andy Haderer demonstrate that they are top-notch technical virtuosos and understand the musical nuances of the number.

One of the three compositions submitted by a member of the Big Band is "Of Mystery and Beauty" by alto saxophonist

Karolina Strassmayer

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Karolina Strassmayer. Owen's intricate and layered arrangement captures the musical world that the composer has imagined. He provides a frame for the soloists such as bassist

John Goldsby

bass
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">John Goldsby to develop his creative lines that are present throughout the number. Additionally, both violinist

Sara Caswell

violin

" data-original-title="" title="">Sara Caswell along with alto saxophonist Strassmayer were given space to explore the boundaries of the composition.

In 1941,

Tommy Dorsey

trombone
1905 - 1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra along with vocalist

Frank Sinatra

vocals
1915 - 1998

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Sinatra recorded "This Love Of Mine," which reached #3 on the Billboard pop singles chart. Just after the turn of the new millennium Owen wrote an arrangement of the tune for a small group and now he has decided to undertake a radical reimagining of the number for the Big Band, penning a chart that is intricate and harmonically layered yet open to pianist

Billy Test

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Test, tenor saxophonist Heller and trumpeter

Ruud Breuls

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Ruud Breuls to deliver on their flexible style of improvising.

So whether Owen is arranging for bassist John Goldsby's charming waltz "Fall Calls" or saxophonist

Johan Horlen

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Johan Horlen's swinger "Canoe," he can fuse different musical styles within the jazz framework, all of which adds a refreshing and unpredictable quality to the music. Another example of Owen's reimagining of previous arrangements is the late pianist and composer

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea's composition "Arabian Nights." His prowess as an arranger is on full display through a chart that is both memorable and emotive and serves as a foundation for inventive improvisations from violinist Sara Caswell and the wailing guitarist Phillip Br?mswig.

Renderings is a jazz album that successfully pushes the boundaries of the genre while paying homage to its roots, and it confirms Chuck Owen as a forward-thinking artist who has a deep respect for jazz traditions.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Knife��s Edge; ��And Your Point Is?; Of Mystery and Beauty; This Love of Mine; Fall Calls; Arabian Nights; A Ridge Away; Canoe.

Personnel

Chuck Owen

composer / conductor

Wim Both

trumpet

Andy Haderer

trumpet

Rob Bruynen

trumpet

Ruud Breuls

trumpet

Ludwig Nuss

trombone

Raphael Klemm

trombone

Andy Hunter

trombone

Mattis Cederberg

trombone, bass

Billy Test

piano

Philipp Br?mswig

guitar

John Goldsby

bass

Hans Dekker

drums

Sara Caswell

violin

Johan Horlen

saxophone, alto

Karolina Strassmayer

saxophone, alto

Gabor Bolla

saxophone

Olivier Peters

saxophone, tenor

Paul Heller

saxophone, tenor

Jens Neufang

saxophone, baritone

Additional Instrumentation

Johan Horlen, Karolina Strassmayer, Gabor Bolla, Olivier Peters, Paul Heller, Jens Neufang: woodwinds; Mattis Cederberg: bass trombone; Billy Test: organ. Special guest��Sara Caswell: violin.

Album information

Title: Renderings | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: MAMA Records

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