It Would Be Easier If

Time Out/New York called him "The hardest-working saxophonist in new-music show business" Not without reason: Ken Thomson, co-founder of the successful band "Gutbucket", which has existed for more than 10 years, and musician in several other bands, has also composed numerous songs, among others, for "Bang On A Can" and the "American Composers Orchestra". His latest project is "Slow/Fast". Thomson, who has followed the tradition of John Zorn and taken it further, selected a few of the best in the business for his band. Although Russ Johnson is a trumpeter of the younger generation, he has long been established as a pro. This is not only because he has toured regularly with such different musicians such as Mark Ribot, Bill Frisell, Lou Reed and Charles Earland, but also because his own CDs have repeatedly received great reviews, and his work in Lee Konitz´ New Nonet and with Steve Swallow/Ohad Talmor received quite a lot of favorable attention. Attentive observers of the guitarist scene have also known Nir Felder for quite some time. He considers his roots to be equally with Hendrix and Scofield and quickly had numerous jobs after finishing his Berklee studies. Mark Turner, Dave Douglas and Cindy Blackman hired his services, and he can also be heard on the latest CD of Greg Osby. Adam Armstrong provides the deeper tones; we know him from playing alongside Kenny Kirkland, Billy Cobham and recently Eric Person. That he is in extremely high demand can be seen in the fact that he can already be heard on more than 70 albums! The same can be said about Fred Kennedy, who has not only performed with David Krakauer, Ben Monder and Bobby Shew, but who also gives the beat in indie rock bands. The collective experience was necessary to understand, play and interpret the compositions on "It Would Be Easier if" and use them as a basis for individual improvisations. Extensive, complex arrangements, which first seem to have been composed for a larger ensemble, are celebrated by the sextet with unbelievable fullness and concentration. Thomson calls the concept "21st Century Third Stream", which really often sounds like a classical chamber ensemble, but which also includes sounds and melodies that only are appropriate to our century. The music has already been performed in several festivals in the USA (Bang On A Can Summer Festival, Northside Music Festival, etc.) as well as in John Zorn's club "The Stone", and the project is also coming to Europe in 2010/11.