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| Dan Willis Quartet "Dan Willis Quartet": Independent Review
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Dan Willis Quartet
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Review of "Dan Willis Quartet"
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By: Michael Rosenstein
rom the very first, this CD tears out with rollicking energy. Willis is a new name to me, and this set of originals proves him to be a skilled writer and engaging leader. The tunes provide snaking melodies with quirky harmonic hooks and rhythmic turns, giving this quartet material to cut loose. These four clearly grew up on rock and that sensibility has shaped their approach to his solos. His lines dart and skitter, bounding around the melodies with a barely restrained abandon. Monder is impressive throughout. The guitarist adds ragged, fuzzed textures and a rock tinge to a liquid tone and phrasing that owes a debt to Bill Frisell without sounding like a clone. He aptly shadows the leader, filling in spare chords, or laying out singing rhythmic counterpoint. His solos have a chiming lilt shaded with a bluesy edge, culling from rock bluster, country twang, and the harmonic and rhythmic complexities of jazz players. Gress proves yet again that he is simply one of the top, and often underrated, players on the scene. He anchors and propels the music with a keen melodic ear and unerring rhythmic sense. Hollenbeck is an inventive player who is able to probe at the skewed rhythms from oddd angles, without ever abandoning the underlying pulse of the music. Though this session doesn't break any new ground, it is a solid outing by players who are thoughtfully shaping the music with a personal voice.
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Michael Rosenstein / Cadence Magazine
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