4K by Modasaurus
"The group's recording 4K covers sonic ground similar that of the early Pat Metheny Quartet, with its piano/guitar/bass/drums line-up, infectious grooves and tight ensemble interplay. The band mixes up a wide range of styles: Celtic jazz fusion, middle Eastern modes, rhumbas and sambas and classical forms, while maintaining an energetic and cohesive mood from start to finish." Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz, Sept 22, 2020.
"Fusion in all its diversity is sure to please fans of this direction in the new work of the Quartet from Ottawa." Leonid Auskern, Jazz Quad (Russia), Sept 8, 2020.
"A fusion crew that doesn't take things too literally or too strictly serves up a funky, swinging good time of fun jazz. Letting the music go where it takes them this crew that started out as a professor and a few of his students has grown into its own kind of juggernaut. It'll even take you back to a fine time where chops were chops and weren't just for display." Chris Spector, Midwest Record, Sept 12, 2020.
"Modasaurus is a joyful and thought-provoking collection of music that warrants multiple listens." David Reed, 'Canadian jazz artists to add to collection,' Belleville Intelligencer, Sept 18, 2020.
4K is the second full-length album by Modasaurus. It's a true journey in how jazz can be fused with a variety of global sounds. Their first album—Two Intents—was recorded in August 2016; though two tracks from that session were saved for this album. Then in August 2019 they recorded the other five tracks on this album. The core instrumentation is James McGowan on piano and compositions, Alex Moxon on guitar, JP Lapensee on bass, and Jamie Holmes on drums. Some of the tracks add an additional sonic layer of keyboard and strings. Also two tracks feature guest musicians: Normand Glaude on chromatic harmonica and Wayne Eagles on electric guitar.
The Modasaurus sound intentionally fuses a wide range of styles, such as the Celtic-jazz fusion in “Crazy Ceilidh” and Middle-Eastern jazz in “Khaleegy.” “Hey Bud!” and “Seen my Jawa?” are Rhumba- and Samba-inspired, while “Chaconne and Fugue” integrates classical form and technique with jazz and rock styles. Completing the album are two pieces that inspired the graphic design for this album, the jazz waltz “Winding Way” and “The Four Kids” (4K), which set the playful tone of the album. The pieces feature considerable interactive play among the four parts, both in the composed sections as well as highly improvisatory sections. These performances are collaborative and fun, written to be enjoyed in the moment, yet support repeated critical listening.
Tracklist
| 1. | The Four Kids (4K) | 6:53 |
| 2. | Hey Bud! | 5:42 |
| 3. | Winding Way | 5:07 |
| 4. | Crazy Ceilidh | 10:47 |
| 5. | Khaleegy | 8:10 |
| 6. | Chaconne and Fugue | 11:08 |
| 7. | Seen My Jawa? | 9:00 |
Credits
James McGowan, piano, keyboards, and compositions (SOCAN)
Alex Moxon, electric guitar
JP Lapensee, eclectic bass
Jamie Holmes, drums
On track 4: Normand Glaude, harmonica
On track 7: Wayne Eagles, eclectic guitar
- Normand Glaude, recording and mixing (tracks 1-4 and 6), Morning Anthem Studio, Cumberland, Ontario.
- John Rosefield, recording (tracks 5 and 7), Kailash Mital Theatre, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario.
- Rob Cosh, mixing and mastering
License
All rights reserved.
www.jamesmcgowan.ca
James McGowan is an active composer and pianist, having performed in Canada, the US, and in Europe. Stylistically, he finds the hybrid space within jazz, classical, contemporary improvisation, art music, and world musics. Dr. McGowan is a multiple award-winning professor of music at Carleton University where he teaches music theory and composition.