David Rogers Quintet

David Rogers Quintet
David Rogers
battle of the saxes
Chris Lightcap
Ken Wessel
Sylvain Leroux
Rob Garcia

Songs

afro-12/8 jazz
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Line up

  • Chris Lightcap (acoustic bass)
  • David Rogers (saxophones, composition)
  • Ken Wessel (guitar)
  • Rob Garcia (drum set)
  • Sylvain Leroux (flute, tambin (Fulani flute), alto saxophone)

Links

David Rogers Quintet:
"globally-influenced modern jazz"

Jazz saxophonist David Rogers has been compared to John Coltrane for his globally-influenced musicheard from jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall. Latin rhythms, medieval chorales, and freewheeling improvisation combine in this fresh take on modern jazz. All-star musicians from the bands of jazz icons Regina Carter, Ornette Coleman, and more.

"A relentless seeker with an eye beyond borders... Rogers' saxophone work and overall outlook bring to mind no less than John Coltrane."
AllMusicGuide

"[A] visionary jazz and world-music saxophonist/composer."
Hartford Courant

"Rogers is an inventive and charismatic saxist, and as a bandleader he's savvy enough to make optimal use of what he's got."
Global Rhythm Magazine

"Rogers is the kind of saxophonist that someone like the late Michael Brecker would be proud of, someone willing to test their limits by playing without them."
Music for America

Praise for David Rogers's "'The World Is Not Your Home"

"Tour de force... Rogers' saxophone work and overall outlook bring to mind no less than John Coltrane during the latter's period of experimenting with Indian music tonalities... like the master, Rogers is a relentless seeker with an eye beyond borders. Working with five superb musicians... [they] explore freely and wildly, coalescing single-mindedly at that place where it all comes together to form something fresh and exciting. Each track here is a world unto its own, precisely, one would imagine, what Rogers had in mind."
AllMusicGuide

"Top flight musicians... a fusion masterpiece."
AllAboutJazz

"The World Is Not Your Home is an astonishing piece of work. Perhaps the world has now caught up with David Rogers."
Brian Morton, co-author, Penguin Guide to Jazz

"5 stars. Rogers is someone who can play, and while it's easy to compare him to every other saxophonist, it's best to just hear him play... [He] enjoys incorporating sounds from around the world, so at any moment he may bring in the tribal sounds of Africa, or percussion sounds that can be heard in South America, or in "La Isla De Reyes" it's a lengthy vacation to Cuba with various solos coming in and out at a pace that may leave people breathless. Rogers is the kind of saxophonist that someone like the late Michael Brecker would be proud of, someone willing to test their limits by playing without them. This is not only a powerful jazz statement, but a musical statement, one of the best to come out this year."
Music for America

"Drawing heavily from the melodic and rhythmic traditions of Ghana and Cuba... 'Oboo Ketua Nyom' steals the show, setting Rogers against a pair of gyile xylophones for an ecstatic, 11-minute celebration of life."
JazzTimes

"Jazz is global. For decades we have seen this art form spread from America around the world. The original source was Africa and the colorful music of composer/ saxophonist David Rogers reflects African and other world influences... Rogers' six originals will impress you with his ability to express emotion and ideas by utilizing all the possibilities of the tenor sax, the importance of his rhythm section (and other rhythm players) and the interesting way in which his compositions unfold... The World Is Not Your Home is an engaging release from an innovative musician. I look forward to hearing more as David Rogers and his new quintet explore the relationship of jazz and world music."
JazzReview

"The World Is Not Your Home is one of a long line of performances that meld the irresistible primal rhythms and sounds of world music with the sophistication and nuances of American jazz. But few American jazz musicians outside of Randy Weston have truly immersed themselves in songs and rhythms of Africa, the Caribbean and other far-flung places on this earth like David Rogers... Listeners of jazz should welcome The World Is Not Your Home seeing the light of day."
Blog Critics Magazine

"A decade ago, tenor saxophonist David Rogers' awareness of African music and jazz led him to compose pieces that were a synthesis of these interests and influences. Bringing together a sextet of Detroit's finest young jazz musicians he recorded these pieces and the session remained unreleased. Ten years can be a long time in the fickle world of jazz/world fusion but The World Is Not Your Home stands up well to this test. This is in large part due to the strength of these compositions and the presence of top flight musicians. Drummer Gerald Cleaver and pianist Craig Taborn are heard here before their arrival and integration into the NYC jazz landscape as is bassist Marion Hayden who has played with violinist Regina Carter in the all-female ensemble Straight Ahead. Along with Rogers' communicative tenor, Mark Stone's vibes and assortment of African percussion link the sounds of both gatherings. In addition, the suitably titled 'Mobius Trip' and title tracks, a fusion masterpiece, appear in separate guises... Derek Bermel's clarinet mixes with tenor for captivating voicings on The World is Not Your Home."
AllAboutJazz


Praise for previous work by David Rogers:

"Rhythmically vital... a fluid Afropop-jazz-classical hybrid." -- The New York Times

"[A] visionary jazz and world-music saxophonist/composer" Hartford Courant

"Proof that music is a universal language... this fact reveals Rogers' restless spirit, a trait common to all great jazz men... He composed all of the songs... many of which feature his exquisite reed solos." -- JazzReview