Either/Orchestra's Daniel Rosenthal - Lines

[GA Russell]

I received this press release today.

Trumpeter/Composer Daniel Rosenthal,

A Standout with

Boston's Renowned Either/Orchestra,

Shines on His Debut CD, "Lines"

Due for September 13 Release,

The CD Offers 10 Intriguing Originals & 2 Engaging Monk Covers

CD Release Shows Planned for

Boston, New York, New Haven

August 2, 2011

Boston-based trumpeter and composer Daniel Rosenthal is a fresh, imaginative new name on the contemporary acoustic jazz scene. His debut CD, Lines, is set for September 13 release on his American Melody Records label.

Rosenthal was mentored by legendary saxophonist Steve Lacy while studying at the New England Conservatory of Music, and is the son of acclaimed bluegrass singer/songwriter and string player Phil Rosenthal. He is an artist with a unique, engaging vision and is the latest rising jazz star to emerge from the storied ranks of Boston's Either/Orchestra.

Lines' open-minded, deeply musical approach brings to mind a range of sounds, from Ornette Coleman's revolutionary 1959 quartet to expansive post/bop moods by Lacy. Rosenthal's quartet -- singing-toned, lyrical alto saxophonist Rick Stone, supple bassist Kendall Eddy, and texturally acute drummer Austin McMahon are the members -- explores inspired material that maintains a deft balance between freedom and structure.

"I'm definitely influenced by Ornette's writing and his quartet," says Rosenthal, whose pleasingly burnished tone has both warmth and punch. "But I also like to write tunes with chords for this configuration. Without a pianist or guitarist laying down the harmony, you have more freedom even if you're staying within the harmonies."

Rosenthal composed and arranged most of the pieces on Lines, which he also produced. He clearly shares Coleman's gift for flowing melodic invention. For example, there's "Subo," a slippery calypso that feels like a joyous missive from a Coleman Caribbean holiday. And the aptly chosen title track reveals Rosenthal's love of long, unexpectedly twisting melodies à la Ornette.

The leader's "Eraser" is a through-composed piece that artfully sketches the waning of one relationship and the waxing of another. And major Newgrass banjoist Wes Corbett (of the band Joy Kills Sorrow), who guests on four tracks, contributes the lovely "Wedding Waltz," a piece conceived as a bluegrass ballad that the band effectively recasts here as a lilting jazz vehicle.

"I've been playing in the family bluegrass band since 11," Rosenthal says. "There's something about trumpet and banjo, that metal on metal blend, that's always intrigued me. I thought it sounded really great to have Wes filling out the band's sound. He's not comping so much as laying out the harmonies."

The CD is rounded out by two brief, impromptu trumpet interludes and a pair of Thelonious Monk jazz standards. The soprano saxophonist taught Rosenthal "Reflections" and "Skippy" by ear, which is how Lacy learned them from Monk.

"Steve talked about playing with Monk a lot," Rosenthal says. "He preferred that we try to learn by ear, and then check out sheet music later if we needed to. He filled in all the harmonies on soprano sax, so it was like playing with a chordal instrument. He really inspired us to go for it on those tunes."

Rosenthal, 29, who was born in Silver Spring, Maryland and raised in Guilford, Connecticut, grew up in a wealth of musical influences, mainly centered around his father's bluegrass (the elder Rosenthal is a former member of the Seldom Scene, a Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band). Jazz came a little later via greats like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Don Cherry.

Rosenthal began gigging as a 13-year-old, and during high school traveled to New York City, where he sat in on occasion at the famed Knitting Factory. He studied at the New England Conservatory, where his quartet came together, then joined the Either/Orchestra in 2006. He's an integral part of the group's 2010 CD, Mood Music for Time Travellers.

"Playing with Either/Orchestra improved my sense of rhythm," Rosenthal notes. "The compositions that guys bring in have a lot of complex melodies, and that material has given me ideas of how you can blend styles together. Just the idea that everyone doesn't have to have a solo on every song, or a tune doesn't even need any solos, that's all influenced my writing."

When he's not touring with Either/Orchestra or leading his own band, Rosenthal is a dedicated educator who teaches both trumpet and Alexander Technique privately and in two high schools. "The problem-solving aspect of teaching really keeps me fresh and on my toes," he says.

The official Boston CD release show for Lines will take place 11/8 at the Lily Pad in Cambridge (two sets starting at 7:30pm), featuring special guests Charlie Kohlhase, Luther Gray, Jef Charland, Rick Stone, and Wes Corbett.

Other shows planned in support of the CD are: 9/16 Lily Pad, Cambridge, MA; 9/17 I-Beam, Brooklyn, NY; and 9/18 Café Nine, New Haven, CT. Daniel will be working with alto saxophonist Rick Stone, bassist Kendall Eddy (replaced by Jef Charland in Cambridge), and drummer Austin McMahon.

Rosenthal will also perform with the Either/Orchestra 9/8 at the Regattabar in Cambridge, and with the Ayn Inserto Big Band 9/21 at the Berklee Performance Center.

Daniel Rosenthal Web Site:

www.danielrosenthalmusic.com

[Chuck Nessa]

So "lines" isn't about cocaine?

[GA Russell]

I'm enjoying this modern creative album with two caveats:

1) It goes on a little too long. I may burn a disc omitting a couple of tracks.

2) Four of the tracks include a banjo (as discussed in the press release). I'm willing to continue to listen to see if this experiment grows on me, but my first impression is that the jarring sound of the banjo takes away from the beauty of the smooth tones of the trumpet and alto.

[Tom in RI]

Curiosity about the banjo alone is probably enough for me to pick this up.