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Thomson Kneeland

coustic bassist and composer Thomson Kneeland has established himself as a formidable sideman and leader since moving to New York City in 2003. He quickly found himself working with such established musicians as Ted Rosenthal, Kenny Werner, Billy Drummond, Lynne Arriale, Paul Bollenback, Peter Leitch, Jed Levy, and many others, as well as leading his own groups. Kneeland has established himself as an in demand bassist with a rock solid swing feel and a unique virtuousic and rhythmic voice; but while delving deep into the jazz history, Kneeland also brings a variety of musical interests to the table from classical counterpoint and 20th century chamber music, to Indian Karnatic music, Indonesian gamelan, Balkan folk music, electronica, heavy metal, and more. Kneeland has released 5 albums as a leader, most recently Mazurka for a Modern Man and The Voice of Silence, featuring a quintet of his peers making their mark on the NYC scene. In 2012, as a member of the Jed Levy Quartet, Kneeland was selected to participate in the Rhythm Road Abroad program sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the US State Department.

Besides composing for various jazz and improvisational idioms, Kneeland has delved into two electronica projects (Grid-X and the movie soundtrack for Magdalena’s Brain-2004) and composes chamber music; he was commissioned to write three pieces for the Longy School of Music Jazz Ensemble and has arranged for the Sherman Chamber Ensemble. As a leader, sideman, and composer, Kneeland has appeared on over 40 recordings to date and performed with such luminaries as Jerry Bergonzi, Kenny Werner, George Garzone, Chris Potter, Ted Rosenthal, Lynne Arriale, Rick Margitza, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Joe Maneri, Gunther Schuller, Peter Leitch, Paul Bollenback and many others. He has performed internationally at such venues as The Kennedy Center, Medellin University in Colombia, the Toronto Jazz Festival, the Perth Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Jazz Festival, and more.

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160
Album Review

Thomson Kneeland: Mazurka For A Modern Man

Read "Mazurka For A Modern Man" reviewed by Jerry D'Souza


Thomson Kneeland makes a creative surge on Mazurka For A Common Man, with wide-ranging music that captures the bassist's skills as a writer--a trait in evidence right from his first CD, The Voice of Blood (Weltschmerz Records, 2001). He went on to record three more albums with his band, Kakalla--documenting, in tandem, Kneeland's ability to write for a quartet/quintet lineup in several idioms and his skills as a bassist. Kakalla was his band for eight years before, Kneeland moved to ...

296
Album Review

Thomson Kneeland: Mazurka For A Modern Man

Read "Mazurka For A Modern Man" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Bassist Thomson Kneeland leads an impressive array of musicians on Mazurka For A Modern Man. It's a strong collection of tunes, characterised by Kneeland's lively bass rhythms and by the gorgeous melodies that emanate from David Smith's trumpet and Nate Radley's guitar. Kneeland's liner notes make it clear that this album is dedicated to his band mate and friend, the drummer Take Toriyama, who took his own life barely 2 weeks after recording was completed in 2007. ...

172
Album Review

Thomson Kneeland: Mazurka for the Modern Man

Read "Mazurka for the Modern Man" reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins


It is unfortunate when a person dies prematurely, and even more so when the death is by suicide. It makes for a bittersweet experience when listening to Mazurka for a Modern Man, by acoustic bassist Thomson Kneeland. Drummer Take Toriyama had been working with Kneeland almost weekly for ten years. He ended his life two weeks after recording the songs on this release. For Kneeland, the tragedy was immeasurable.

The core group on the recording consists of Kneeland, Toriyama, guitarist ...

358
Album Review

Thomson Kneeland: Mazurka For A Modern Man

Read "Mazurka For A Modern Man" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


It wouldn't be unusual to think that the mastermind behind Mazurka For A Modern Man played trumpet or guitar. While bassist Thomson Kneeland wrote eight of these compositions, which touch on everything from Balkan folk music and klezmer, to chamber music and indie rock, he often lurks in the background while guitarist Nate Radley and trumpeter David Smith paint intriguing pictures and create a deep, and occasionally dark, musical universe in the foreground. Kneeland, as demonstrated throughout this album, is ...

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Thomson Kneeland

Read "Take Five With Thomson Kneeland" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Meet Thomson Kneeland: Double bassist Thomson Kneeland moved to New York four years ago to free himself from the musical doldrums of New England. He has performed on over thirty albums and has released three self-produced projects on his label Weltschmerz Records, the latest being Kakalla's The Seeds of Analog Rebellion. He tours internationally with Lynne Arriale and regularly works with the likes of Ted Rosenthal, Matana Roberts, Hal Crook, Indian music group Natraj, and more. A month generally finds ...

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198

Recording

Bassist/Composer Thomson Kneeland Releases New CD Titled "Mazurka for a Modern Man" on Weltschmerz Records

Bassist/Composer Thomson Kneeland Releases New CD Titled "Mazurka for a Modern Man" on Weltschmerz Records

Source: Two for the Show Media

Thomson Kneeland's latest album, Mazurka for a Modern Man, is the culmination of a compositional project he completed in 2007, working with the late percussionist Take Toriyama, guitarist Nate Radley, Trumpeter David Smith & alto saxophonist Loren Stillman; the core of the musicians shared a broad vocabulary from ten years of playing together almost weekly: Balkan folk music, Indian tihais, drum'n'bass, electronica, rock, and of course, jazz and improvised music. They completed fourteen compositions in the studio in April 2007; ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Better Than Anything

Self Produced
2022

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Ordinary Lives

Fresh Sound Records
2014

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Mazurka For A Modern...

Weltschmerz Records
2010

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Mazurka for the...

Weltschmerz Records
2010

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