Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge: Within Us

Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge: Within Us

By Jack Bowers
September 9, 2021
View read count

Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge: Within Us

Any big band celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary has earned a triumph surpassing most others. To mark the occasion with an album as admirable as this one is icing on the celebratory cake. The fact is, composer/arranger

Chuck Owen

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Chuck Owen's Florida-based Jazz Surge, formed in 1995, shows no signs of aging or becoming obsolete. Thanks to Owen's broad-beamed and colorful charts, the Jazz Surge is as mesmerizing as a memoir and stylish as tomorrow.

Half a dozen of Owen's original compositions enhance the album alongside

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea's sunny opener, "The Chelsea Shuffle," and

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis' irrepressible "Milestones," the latter spliced by Owen with the first piece he ever composed for the band, suitably titled "Surge." Corea, who was penciled in as guest artist on Within Us, died in February 2021, three months before the enterprise got under way, so Owen arranged "Chelsea Shuffle" as a tribute. As a further homage, saxophonist

Steve Wilson

saxophone
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Wilson, a member of Corea's group

Origin

" data-original-title="" title="">Origin, agreed to join the Surge for this recording. Wilson solos on soprano on "Chelsea Shuffle" and alto on Owen's "Sparks Fly."

Speaking of solos, how many big bands can you name whose leading soloists include a violinist? On the Surge, her name is

Sara Caswell

violin

" data-original-title="" title="">Sara Caswell, and she solos eloquently on "Trail of the Ancients," "Apalachicola" and "Sparks Fly." Besides Wilson and Caswell, the Surge benefits from persuasive statements by guest vibraphonist

Warren Wolf

vibraphone
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Warren Wolf, alto

Tami Danielsson

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Tami Danielsson, tenors

Jack Wilkins

saxophone, tenor
1944 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Jack Wilkins and

Rex Wertz

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Rex Wertz, baritone

Matt Vance

saxophone, baritone

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Vance, trumpeter

Clay Jenkins

trumpet
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Clay Jenkins, trombonists

Jerald Shynette

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Jerald Shynette and

Tom Brantley

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Brantley, guitarists

LaRue Nickelson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">LaRue Nickelson and

Corey Christiansen

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Corey Christiansen, pianist

Per Danielsson

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Per Danielsson, bassist

Mark Neuenschwander

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Neuenschwander and drummer

Danny Gottlieb

drums
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Danny Gottlieb (the last three of whom comprise the band's sharp and supportive rhythm section).

Even so, it is Owen's bright and perceptive charts that guide the way, from the stalwart "Chelsea Shuffle" to the even-tempered title song, inspired by a quote from writer Albert Camus, which closes the album. Sandwiched between are the picturesque "Trail of the Ancients," meditative "American Noir," iconic "Milestones," prayerful "Apalachicola," cheerful "Sparks Fly" and prismatic "The Better Claim," the final movement of Owen's five-part concerto, River Runs, which debuted with the Surge and a large string orchestra in 2011. Within Us, recorded in May 2021, marked the first time the Surge was in one place since the start of the pandemic two years before, and the happiness and camaraderie are palpable. The result is an album whose import has more than earned its "happy anniversary" salutation.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Chelsea Shuffle; Trail of the Ancients; American Noir; Milestones; Apalachicola; Sparks Fly; The Better Claim; Within Us (An Invincible Summer).

Personnel

Chuck Owen

composer / conductor

Frank Greene

trumpet

Jay Coble

trumpet

Mike Iapichino

trumpet

Clay Jenkins

trumpet

Tami Danielsson

saxophone, alto

Steve Wilson

saxophone

Rex Wertz

saxophone, tenor

Matt Vance

saxophone, baritone

Keith Oshiro

trombone

Tom Brantley

trombone

Jerald Shynette

trombone

Sara Caswell

violin

Per Danielsson

piano

LaRue Nickerson

guitar

Corey Christiansen

guitar

Mark Neuenschwander

bass, acoustic

Danny Gottlieb

drums

Beth Gottlieb

percussion

Warren Wolf

vibraphone

Additional Instrumentation

Chuck Owen: arranger, accordion, hammered dulcimer; Steve Wilson: soprano sax; Jack Wilkins: tenor sax; Jim Hall: trombone; Corey Christiansen: dobro; Beth Gottlieb: djembe (6). Warren Wolf: vibraphone, marimba (1, 7).

Album information

Title: Within Us | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: MAMA Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jazz Portraits Part 2
< Previous

Deflections
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.