Recent Updates

Nice review of “Dark Journey” in the New York City Jazz Record

Lost in the Shadows, with
Nate Radley – guitar
Jay Anderson – bass
Billy Drummond – drums

Some new pieces for quartet, one tune by Nate, “Pinocchio” and Joe Chamber’s rollicking “Hopscotch.”

#daddariowoodwinds

“Among his peers, Andrew holds a place of honor, and it’s easy to see why.” Rating: Indespensible. Thierry De Clemensat, PARIS-MOVE Paris-Move Review

“A oen and a reed for rich ideas: George W Harris, Jazz Weekly Jazz Weekly Review

“Rathbun and Cowan are both excellent players whose solos ascend, circle and plummet on the shifting tides of a variable rhythmic footing.” DOWNBEAT John McDonough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6twhmUb8Fs

Promo video for the new record “Dark Journey.”

Look for this new record on October 25th!

I am so excited about this one. It’s quite different than any of my recordings. The music explores meter, superimposed rhythms, shifting tempos, and some energetic solo work. The band is a septet with a front line of reeds, trumpet, guitar and voice. There are synths. I even got out my WX7 (which I pulled out of cold-storage during COVID) to play some synth lines. There are some production techniques employed throughout, giving this a different sheen than all of my other projects.

I hope you take a moment to check it out! Streaming everywhere 10/25, ORIGIN Records

Sierra 6 panel Wallet Corel

A quick iPhone video of the quartet in action at the Stowe Festival!

Friday August 2nd at the Alchemist Mainstage

Andrew Rathbun quartet with Matthew Fries, piano, Carlo DeRosa, bass, Keith Hall, drums.

I wrote a new book of music for this group and we are going into the studio Sept 14/15 to record.

https://stowejazzfestival.org/calendar

Really looking forward to this! Picked some of my favorite Coltrane tunes from across his discography.

With Carlo DeRosa, bass and Keith Hall, drums

https://takeeffectreviews.com/may-2024-1/2024/5/10/andrew-rathbun?fbclid=IwY2xjawEjG9ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHc3FSR1vJB2dbyypZbLRbnDF53jSbGnrE6S7K-xbRzhYhwAOEC9HkHb0Og_aem_ha5xJlv6dzymAjCatvx7xA

“A listen that’s focused on metric manipulation and harmonics, there’s a nice smattering of abstractness present that makes this listen both creative and timeless.”

Opening for James Brandon Lewis & The Messthetics on May 13th.

This will be a good one to check out.

So proud of this new record. I love this project.

https://koshkilrecords.bandcamp.com/album/melds-kr-16

Performing some pieces by Daniel Schnyder and a new piece of mine called Speed of the Game. with pianist Mathew Fries, Jamey Haddad on percussion plus KSO string quartet.

3pm in the Dalton Center Recital Hall.

Speed of Time got some great press over the last 6 months. Check it out!

LINKS:

Andrew Rathbun, “The speed of time”

Andrew Rathbun – The Speed of Time

https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/andrew-rathbun-the-speed-of-time/

REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS:

After the challenging opening track The Speed of Time follows Could It Be, a ballad with a long, impressionistic piano intro by Gary Versace. And despite the composer’s stated goal of integrating several concurrent metrical ideas into his music, the album remains melodically and rhythmically accessible with well-formulated, controlled and technically beautifully delivered music. A lot of care has been put into the compositions; the themes are surprisingly original, and don’t sound like something that has just been scratched down to frame a lot of soli. Jørgen Nielsen – Jazz Special (Norway)

Upon reflection, this saxophonist brings me the same joy as when I, as an adolescent, discovered the universe of Sonny Rollins. Indeed, we are in that kind of saxophonist, quite radical, uncompromising, on compositions of a very high level. Thierry de Clemensat – Paris Move

Rathbun is a unique voice on saxophone with a style and sound of his own. He has assembled a crack band that complements his stylings perfectly and offers much to the astute listener. Ed Sapiega – Jazz Views

My desire to “understand” the music vanished in the face of this seriously entertaining and eminently listenable release… This is a highly entertaining release and has sent this listener to the composer’s website to begin to hear some of his other work which apparently includes forays into classical realms as well. This release now puts Rathbun on my listener’s radar which will alert me to pay attention to the next project from a truly fine musician/composer. Allan J. Cronin – New Music Buff

What stands out for this listener is that, since his earliest recordings, Andrew Rathbun has been an excellent composer. He certainly can improvise as impressively as his contemporaries but telling a story with his music is just as important… this album is yet another fine example of his musicality and creativity. Richard Kamins – Step Tempest

The titular subject of his latest album helming a quartet, The Secret of Time, is arguably the most universal of inspirations. The topic allows for a set of eight compositions approached with equal parts sobriety, wariness and breezy wonder. Drummer Tom Ranney, bassist John Hebert, and Gary Versace on piano are sometimes free-flowing in their cascades of interaction; elsewhere, the foursome’s combined, pointillistic force registers like Mike Oldfield conjuring a raga in a Western scale. Elsewhere, the combo bops more traditionally, yet always with serious intent. Jamie Lee Rake – Shepherd Express

The songs are lyrical and melodic while navigating intriguing harmonic changes and metric shifts. The title track opens the record and immediately grabs the listener’s attention, simultaneously existing in two metric planes. Two players are in a four beat time while the other two are in a cycle of eleven beats. This unstable duality is utterly compelling from start to finish. David Reed – Belleville Intelligencer

The Speed of Time is an extraordinary album worthy of the highest recommendation…Midwest Book Review

New CD out Sept. 15th!

So pleased that my latest release Semantics was nominated for a JUNO award. Congrats to all these great nominees, see you in Edmonton!

This track from SEMANTICS seems to have generated some interest!

NEW CD Drops TODAY! So excited for this record. Some of my favorite musicians, and special guest Rich Perry, one of my favorite musicians of all time. Such a treat to get to write some music for him and this band.

My latest JCP Mini-Lesson is up. Using some new unreleased music to talk about getting multiple meters going at the same time to create rhythmic illusions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMRbTXGU9DE&t=159s

Had a great time talking to Samo about the latest releases. He really knew a bunch of records from my catalogue, and it was great to talk to someone who knows his stuff! Sam is a great musician whose unbridled love for music really shines through. And his illustration of me is pretty great!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMRbTXGU9DE&t=159s

I feel fortunate to be included again in the critics Poll!

https://keithhall.bandcamp.com/album/made-in-kalamazoo-trios-and-duos

So happy to be a part of this record! Keith and I co-wrote a number of the pieces, and I edited and mixed the recording, which was a ton of work and a ton of fun! Playing trio with Keith and Robert Hurst was a dream come true. And Keith and I created some great duos together, with some FX for extra effect!