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Some Other Tree

Samuel Mösching

Label: ears&eyes Records
Released: 2016
Views: 650

Tracks

Eye-Contact, You Can't Ruin My Day, Cumulus, Lunarer Kanon, Turvey, My Baby Blues

Personnel

Additional Personnel / Information

Samuel Mösching: guitar & composition; Rusty Jones: drums; Ben Schmidt-Swartz: tenor saxophone; Chad McCullough: trumpet & flugelhorn; Mike Harmon: acoustic bass

Album Description

Story: Chicago-based, Swiss guitarist Samuel Mösching releases his collaboration with mainstay drummer Rusty Jones one year after Jones’ passing Rusty Jones in his later years collaborated with many younger Chicago musicians. The 73-year-old drummer, together with Swiss guitarist and composer Samuel Mösching, had been in the studio working on a recording called Some Other Tree. Rusty passed away, in December 2015, just before the album was set to be released. Samuel Mösching personally had to pause and to take a step back and wait to release this amazingly swinging set of new standards featuring Rusty’s wonderful collective playing. One year after his passing, Samuel Mösching together with ears&eyes Records decided that the music should be shared. Rusty’s infectious positivity and big smile will be remembered by everyone that had the pleasure to know and play with him. Rusty’s deep groove and bouncing swing can once again be experienced by everyone. On this recording, you can hear his incredibly open and listening ears soak up what these younger cats are dishing out, and giving the music a level of maturity and history, propelling these original and modern “standards” into some very interesting places. The band also features Ben Schmidt-Swartz on tenor sax, Chad McCullough on trumpet, and Mike Harmon on bass. Some Other Tree is the result of Mösching’s dream of composing a set of new standards with Rusty’s playing in mind. And so, it’s something different. It’s original new music, but there’s something very familiar and comfortable when listening to the recording initially. It may cause some to wonder if they’re hearing a Classic Jazz record from the 50s or 60s?” It’s possible, but there’s this modern element that can’t quite be placed. Mösching says „I was never a traditionalist, but Rusty brought me a whole lot closer to the understanding of it“. Rusty Jones (1942-2015) had been a part of the Jazz scene and played with folks such as George Shearing's trio (1972-1978), Marian McPartland, Adam Makowicz, Larry Novak, Danny Long, Patricia Barber, Johnny Gabor, Jim Beebe, Charlie Hooks, Frank D'Rone, Art Hodes, Mark Pompe, Frank Portolese, Ron Surace, Ira Sullivan, J.R. Monterose, Stéphane Grappelli and Curt Warren, Buddy DeFranco, Art Van Damme, Kai Winding, Curtis Fuller, Lee Konitz, Chuck Hedges, Bill Davison ("Wild Bill"), Anita O'Day, Mark Murphy, Flip Phillips, Sylvia Syms, Morgan King, Red Holloway, Eddie Higgins, Ike Cole, Clifford Jordan, Bill Porter, Polly Podewell, Jim Clark, Franz Jackson, Bobby Enriquez, Monty Alexander, and Catherine Whitney among many others. He had about 43 recording sessions between 1958 and 2004. When Samuel Mösching heard Rusty play live for the first time he was completely blown away by the sound and freshness. “Something in Rusty’s playing sounded a lot more modern, than I was used to hearing in straight ahead jazz”, says Mösching. “A lot of musicians say that the drummer is the most influential player in a Jazz group and that the drummer sets the standards for groove and sound, to me the two most essential characteristics in Jazz,” says Mösching. “Rusty definitely defines the mood and sets a comfort that is wonderful and magnetic. He is always in the music and ushers us into it.“ Samuel continues, “When I heard Rusty for the first time I was speechless with admiration. I knew I wanted to get together with him and do some playing. He has been around for so long and knows this music like only a few others.“ For Some Other Tree, Samuel uses an approach that’s common with many Jazz musicians today—writing new melodies to standard chord changes—but he’s transformed these tunes into something of an incredible difference. It might be partially his European origin, but also relates to his keen ear to tradition of which he’s inspired by with the additional Rusty Jones in his band. “I remember our last gig and the last time we talked, only three days before his passing. He was so grateful to be part of the recording,” recalls Mösching. “He wanted to buy hard copies from me and insisted in paying me. I told him, he can have as many copies of the album he wants for free. He put two $20 bills in my hand and would not take them back. He was one of the most humble musicians I ever met.” The music community lost a great contributor to the jazz language and equally important the folks that had never met Rusty are missing his bright personality and sincere kindness, both qualities of a seasoned musician and bandmate able to create comfortable and open playing fields.

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