Samuel Blaser

Jazz trombonist and composer Samuel Blaser, who has earned serious attention and enthusiastic praise over the last few years for his daring virtuosity and engaging improvisations, advances his artistry to even greater heights on his new CD, 7th Heaven, just released on the Between the Lines/Double Moon label in Germany. A prolific talent with a truly collaborative spirit, Blaser brings together guitarist Scott Dubois, bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Gerald Cleaver to create seven separate songs that explore the territory between hard bop and free jazz, all of which confirm that a new trombone star has risen in the realm of the Improviser’s Art.

In listening to Blaser’s spectral trombone playing you hear tradition, finesse and questing innovation. His strong, colorful tone allows him to express his musical ideas in a straightforward manner, so each nuance of his phrasing stands complete and purposeful. With an astute command of rhythm and an impeccable ear for melody and harmony, Blaser fashions entertaining original compositions that emphasize his versatile playing and deep commitment to the jazz aesthetic.

Blaser was born and raised in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, located in the Neuchâtel canton and center of the country’s famed watch-making industry. It is also a vibrant jazz metropolis, and once was home to a pair of expatriate American jazz legends

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Signal To Noise Fall 2008 Jay Collins

“...another vibrant quartet outing that serves as the leadership debut for 26- yearold trombonist Samuel Blaser... Blaser is a confident soloist, decorating straight-uo, puckish lines with vibrant extended techniques... It is the capstone of a forceful debut for the young trombonist...”

All About Jazz July 17th 2008 Troy Terrell Kent Holmes

Signal To Noise Fall 2008 Jay Collins

All About Jazz July 17th 2008 Troy Terrell Kent Holmes

“...Samuel Blaser writes and plays daringly on his debut as a leader, blending free jazz sensibilities with a straightahead approach. And if a trombone ever flourished in a free jazz vein, it's here... He builds ideas and expands on them artfully without a dead end in sight. He can play some serious music without taking himself too seriously and is well on his way to claiming a prominent place in the forefront of jazz...”

New York Times Nate Chinen July 11th 2008

Samuel Blaser, a young trombonist with pronounced experimental tendencies, celebrates the release of an album called 7th Heaven (Between the Lines) with a highly promising rhythm section: the guitarist Todd Neufeld, the bassist Thomas Morgan and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey...

All About Jazz May 16th 2008 Troy Collins

“...A commanding soloist with a harmonious approach to abstraction, Blaser enriches his mellifluous, buttery timbre with multiphonics, smears and myriad extended techniques to paint swirls of expressive chiaroscuro... A stellar debut, 7th Heaven reveals Blaser as an artist of great promise...”

Gazeta May 15th 2008 Tom Sekowski

“...New York based Swiss trombonist Samuel Blaser continues his quest in redefining his compositional skills on his quite delectable album “7th Heaven”...What's best about “7th Heaven” is the high level of communication between the players”

Ejazz News May 12th 2008 Glenn Astarita

“...At twenty-six years, Blaser communicates musical maturity that is far beyond the norm. A masterful technician and forward-thinking idea man, the trombonist conveys an uncanny manner of bridging dark, brooding passages with an overriding sense of vibrancy... If you are seeking a modern jazz record that stands out from the majority of recent releases, then this shrewdly engineered album should provide some near and long-term gratification...”

Glenn Ferris January 2008

“...What a pleasure to hear a musically creative trombonist... Samuel Blaser is one of these special artists who not only plays some beautiful trombone, but brings together on this album a great group of musicians...”

John fedchock October 2007

“...Samuel Blaser is a special player, and this is a special recording. His debut CD as a leader, 7th Heaven represents a culmination of experiences, as well as an exciting point of departure for Samuel s future in the world of modern improvisors.”

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