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Amos Gillespie: Unstructured Time for Jazz Septet

By Jack Bowers
December 23, 2021
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Chicago-based composer/educator/alto saxophonist

Amos Gillespie

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Amos Gillespie's CD, Unstructured Time, employs a variety of time signatures but is anything but unstructured—in fact, the opposite may reasonably be opined, as taut structure is clearly front and center on the album's four instrumental and five vocal numbers. In other words, "unstructured" in Gillespie's lexicon bears absolutely no resemblance to "free" jazz but refers instead to the struggle to find structure and balance in an environment wherein one is constantly bombarded with negative messages and stimuli.

The group's singer is

Alexandra Olsavsky

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Alexandra Olsavsky, the lyrics by Gillespie. While her voice is pleasant enough and she sings on-key, Olsavsky's elocution needs more work. Perhaps some of the disconnect has to do with the mic. Or it could be the material: Gillespie's lyrics, no doubt meaningful to him, are rather less so to those who are tasked with unraveling their import. The titles—"Deconstructed," "Like a Blossom," "Sleepless," "Fewer Words," "Silence Is Your Own"—offer only a small measure of clarity, while Olsavsky's expositions do little to shed further light.

When left to its own devices, Gillespie's sextet is splendid, especially so on the fast-moving finale, "Juiced." The other instrumentals are the opening two- part fanfare, "Shades of Red," the lyrical "Nothing Changes" and winding "Tangerine Road." While Gillespie bears some improvisational resemblance to

Phil Woods

saxophone, alto
1931 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Woods and

Cannonball Adderley

saxophone
1928 - 1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Cannonball Adderley, and the concepts are often similar, his sound is rather unlike either of them, more akin to

Sonny Criss

saxophone, alto
1927 - 1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Sonny Criss or

Lou Donaldson

saxophone
1926 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Lou Donaldson. Tenor

Andy Schlinder

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Andy Schlinder, a Windy City veteran, solos with assurance, as do guitarist

Casey Nielsen

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Casey Nielsen and pianist

Paul Bedal

piano
b.1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Bedal. As for rhythm, no problem there: bassist

Dan Thatcher

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Dan Thatcher and drummer

Gustavo Cortiñas

drums
b.1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Gustavo Corti?as are wide awake, well-armed and interactive.

The session would have been well-served by more of the same. As it is, there are four above-average instrumentals and five somewhat less pleasing vocals. For those who prefer vocals, the reverse may be true. In either case, a mixed bag.

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Track Listing

Shades of Red; Deconstructed; Like a Blossom; Nothing Changes; Tangerine Road; Sleepless; Fewer Words; Silence Is Your Own; Juiced.

Personnel

Amos Gillespie

saxophone, alto

Andy Schlinder

saxophone, tenor

Paul Bedal

piano

Casey Nielsen

guitar

Dan Thatcher

bass

Gustavo Corti?as

drums

Alexandra Olsavsky

vocals

Album information

Title: Unstructured Time for Jazz Septet | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Self Produced

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