Title: Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes Artist: Gregory Uhlmann Label: International Anthem Product Type: COMPACT DISCS UPC: 634457199286 Genre: Jazz Release Date: 2025-03-14 Number of Discs: 1
Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes is the debut album from Gregory Uhlmann (SML, Anna Butterss, Duffy x Uhlmann, Perfume Genius), Josh Johnson (SML, Jeff Parker ETA IVtet & New Breed, Meshell Ndegeocello, Anna Butterss, Leon Bridges), and Sam Wilkes (Sam Gendel, Louis Cole, Chaka Khan). The three improviser/arranger/producers' impressive individual credits encompass such a wide stylistic pendulum swing that a collection of group music from the trio could mine any number of musical territories with masterful results. In these 11 instrumental songs, the trio explores a spacious lyrical curiosity that could be described as a jazz-informed take on progressive electro-acoustic chamber music.Conceived during two live shows at ETA and a session at Uhlmann's house in Los Angeles, the album maintains a focus on beauty, melody, and rhythm as the pieces unfold, with the trio pushing their instruments and highly-dialed effects to sculpt otherworldly sounds with the collective sensibility of a rhythm section. The ethos of these instant compositions is arrangement-minded improvisation that showcases the mournful beauty of Uhlmann's fingerpicked electric guitar, the hybrid rhythm-lead of Wilkes' bass chording, and the textural harmonic worldbuilding of Johnson's effect-laden alto saxophone.
Tracks: 1.1 Marvis 1.2 Fumarole 1.3 Arpy 1.4 Frica 1.5 Hoe Down 1.6 Jicama 1.7 Unsure 1.8 Fields 1.9 Shwa 1.10 Rewinded 1.11 The Fool on the Hill
