Featured Artist: Jason Steele Ensemble
CD Title: Some Wonderful Moment
Year: 2007
Record Label: Ears & Eyes Records
Style: Fusion
Musicians: Jason Steele (guitar), Ron Miles (cornet), Thad Franklin (flugelhorn/trumpet), Josh Sclar, Tim Sullivan (tenor saxophone), Keith Johnson (fender rhodes), Matt Ulery (bass), Charles Rumback (drums)
Review: As a connoisseur of jazz and as an individual who critiques hundreds of albums per year, I have come to realize that jazz is a mosaic tapestry that is filled with artistic impressionism. Many artists come and go during the course of a year and few leave behind anything worth remembering; those who do, have messages to bring that are truly “Kodak moments.” With that in mind, I have to acknowledge the Jason Steele Ensemble as a group that treats jazz as an art form as they traverse the relevance of their music as something more than elevator music.
‘Some Wonderful Moment’ is the debut release for this superb group of musicians; who in their own way have found a niche in the realm of artistic impressionism. With guitarist Jason Steele serving as the leader, he and his band of merry men have formulated an excursion into fusion jazz that is augmented by a hint of free avant-garde stylized music. Jason’s grasp of his chosen craft is sometimes subtle and carries with it a high degree of improvisational charisma. Texture is added to the CD with Steele’s inclusion of cornetist Ron Miles, saxophonists John Sclar, Tim Sullivan, bassist Matt Ulery, Thad Franklin on flugelhorn and Charles Rumback on drums, Collectively, this band carries the idea of fusion/avant-garde jazz to a whole new level of enthused panoramic proportions. When listening to ‘Some Wonderful Moment,’ it can be said that the Jason Steele Ensemble has presented a new voice in the midst of musical chaos. Their solitary approach to their music isolates an aesthetic quality in jazz that is seldom seen. The manner in which they are able to draw their listeners in is incredible. Overall, this debut release from the Steele Ensemble is worth a listen as it opens up the expansive possibilities of artistic impressionism.
Reviewed by: Sheldon T. Nunn
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