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Javier Vercher

JAVIER VERCHER (1978) BIOGRAPHY by MICHAEL HILL

Tenor saxophonist Javier Vercher, is a pure-hearted jazz man, whose approach embraces both the avant-garde and the old school. The Williamsburg, Brooklyn émigré relishes free playing for its unpredictability and intuitiveness, the feeling of discovery, and the instant rapport with his fellow players. But his gradually unfolding soundscapes also have an emotional gravity to them and, at times, a palpable sense of the spiritual. Each is a wordless narrative; the starting point is often real life.

One of his songs,“Wish You Were Here,” for example, was inspired by his recent travels through South America backing up Pop Star Alejandro Sanz. It also serves as one of the tracks for Vercher’s self-produced new album, I Wish You Were Here. Vercher leads an impressive line-up of bold-faced names, indicative of how highly he has come to be regarded in New York City’s jazz community. Joining him are bassist Larry Grenadier, guitarist Lionel Loueke, pianist Sam Yahel and drummer Francisco Mela, along with other guest players. Vercher penned all the tracks except “Vivi,” composed by Loueke.

Vercher has already cultivated a serious buzz overseas, especially in Europe and South America, via extensive touring and festival dates with various jazz combos. The Village Voice has described Vercher as “a feisty player, willing to get bruised up a bit for his art.” He’s released three albums on the Fresh Sounds label. Introducing Javier Vercher, is a trio date with special contributions from pianist Robert Glasper and drummer Bob Moses. His second, The Wheel of Time, is a collaboration with drummer Ferenc Nementh, featuring such guest stars as guitarist Loueke and legendary sixties songwriter Chip Taylor. The Third one is Infinita. Reviewing one of the albums mentioned (Wheel of Time), All About Jazz declared, “The setting is simple: saxophone, drums/percussion, and occasional guitar; but the results are profound and from the start it's clear that this is something different.”

Vercher was born in Madrid but raised in Valencia. His father, a well accomplished musician and arranger, may have instilled his son with a sense of wanderlust. More specifically, though, he gave the younger Vercher an appreciation of music by enrolling Javier in a school of music, to study the classics and learn the clarinet, when Javier was just seven. Perhaps more importantly than any educational opportunities he proffered, says Vercher, his family “had a nice collection of Weather Report, John Coltrane and Keith Jarrett on vinyl at home.”

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5
Album Review

Joe Sturges: Awareness

Read "Awareness" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Awareness is the debut EP of Joe Sturges, a Madrid-born, Anglo-Hispanic drummer and composer. Four tracks and seventeen minutes of music offer a brief but tantalizing glimpse into Sturges' compositional mind, one as influenced by classical romanticism and minimalism as it is by jazz. A quintet of players deployed in changing quartet and duo settings suggest a composer with the confidence to vary the tools at his disposable, resulting in tunes of individually distinctive character. Washing cymbals and ...

4
Album Review

Javier Vercher: Wish You Were Here

Read "Wish You Were Here" reviewed by Geannine Reid


Pushing the limits of jazz is where saxophonist Javier Vercher resides, creating in a world full of experimentalism and melodicism, but creativity and heartfelt music is the unifying thread. On Wish You Were Here (MUSIKOZ), customary jazz is given an overhaul, flirting with dissonant or uneasy textures. In other words, it actually tosses jazz back into the groundbreaking sonic landscapes that once enabled it to light the world on fire. Wish You Were Here is visionary work, one that stands ...

9
Album Review

Javier Vercher - Ferenc Nemeth: Imaginary Realm

Read "Imaginary Realm" reviewed by Geannine Reid


Imagination is the ability to form a picture in your mind of something that you have not seen, heard or experienced; the ability to think of new things. Saxophonist Javier Vercher and Drummer Ferenc Nemeth´s project Imaginary Realm can be summed up by this dictum, creating a realm between the two of them that is creative and full of new things. Saxophonist Javier Vercher was born in Madrid, but was raised in Valencia where he graduated from the ...

2
Album Review

Javier Vercher - Ferenc Nemeth: Imaginary Realm

Read "Imaginary Realm" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero


L'immagine di copertina--un grattacielo senza identità con inquietanti ciminiere per sfondo--e quella interna--una figura accovacciata sulla sabbia che osserva un cane divertirsi sulla battigia--pur essendo accomunate dalla stessa tonalità di grigio esprimono un evidente contrasto prospettico e qualitativo. Qualità che si ritrova sicuramente in questa incisione, grazie alla sensibilità messa in mostra dal sassofonista Javier Vercher e dal percussionista Ferenc Nemeth, accompagnati in quattro brani dal pianista David Kikoski--ma che non sempre viene sorretta da una adeguata tensione narrativa.

261
Album Review

Javier Vercher: Wish You Were Here

Read "Wish You Were Here" reviewed by Enrique Turpin


Poco importa que Javier Vercher sea madrileño de nacimiento y valenciano de adopción. Defender un origen geográfico sólo tiene sentido si se está dispuesto a morir por él, y no creo que sea el caso del saxofonista, que bien pronto entendió que las fronteras que cabe preservar con la firmeza de las pasiones tienen que ver con las que se encuentran en el territorio de las ideas. Una de ellas le llevó a ampliar su formación en los dominios vernáculos ...

136
Album Review

Javier Vercher: Introducing The Javier Vercher Trio

Read "Introducing The Javier Vercher Trio" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Javier Vercher is a young, prodigiously gifted Spanish saxophonist who first made an impact as a member of the Oscar Penas Quintet on the 2004 CD Astronautus. Now, on Introducing The Javier Vercher Trio (also on Fresh Sound New Talent), Vercher justifies the promise he showed earlier. With an audacious mixture of swinging post bop and powerful free playing, Vercher has created a debut of considerable impact.

On the opening track, Ornette Coleman's hip tune “Bird Food," Vercher ...

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REVIEW BY ALL ABOUT JAZZ – JANUARY 20th 2016

Javier Vercher: Wish You Were Here By GEANNINE REID Published: January 20, 2016 Views: 2,267

Pushing the limits of jazz is where saxophonist Javier Vercher resides, creating in a world full of experimentalism and melodicism, but creativity and heartfelt music is the unifying thread. On Wish You Were Here (MUSIKOZ), customary jazz is given an overhaul, flirting with dissonant or uneasy textures. In other words, it actually tosses jazz back into the groundbreaking sonic landscapes that once enabled it to light the world on fire. Wish You Were Here is visionary work, one that stands out in the mass mix of the countless numbers of average jazz chaos. Vercher is joined by an amazing cast which includes: Javier Vercher (tenor sax), Lionel Loueke (guitar), Larry Grenadier (bass), Francisco Mela (drums), Sam Yahel—(piano) on: “Vivi,” “Magicians of Sound,” “Ahi Donde Vive Joe,” and bonus tracks: “Turning Towards Kindness,” and “Rio Blanco.” Special guests include: Arturo Stable (ethnic percussion) on “Vivi” and bonus track “Turning Towards Kindness,” Jorge Perez (peruvian cajon), on “Blue Heron,” Brian Henry Schreck (vocals) on the bonus track “Turning Towards Kindness.”

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Awareness

Self Produced
2020

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Wish You Were Here

ADLIB arts
2016

buy

Imaginary Realm

Dreamers Collective
2014

buy

Wish You Were Here

ADLIB arts
2010

buy

Infinita

Fresh Sound Records
2009

buy

Giant Henge

From: Imaginary Realm
By Javier Vercher

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