Found In Space: "...something truly extraordinary."
by Nolan DeBuke, The Jazz Word
— August 2024
Michael Dease "Found in Space" The Music of Gregg Hill Represents the Power of Collaboration
In the vast cosmos of jazz, some stars burn with a peculiar brilliance, their light flickering in patterns that challenge conventional rhythms and harmonies. Michael Dease’s Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill is an album that explores this astral territory, guided by Gregg Hill’s compositions. Released by Origin Records on September 20, 2024, this project is a tribute to Hill’s intricate, genre-defying work, showcasing Dease’s extraordinary musicianship and the formidable talents of his ensemble.
From the outset, the album title, a clever nod to the ’60s sci-fi show Lost in Space, hints at the otherworldly nature of Hill’s music. It’s a fitting metaphor for a composer whose work traverses galaxies of sound, from the angular, Zappa-esque twists of “The Last Pop Tune” to the lush, cinematic landscapes of “Found in Space.” Hill’s compositions are as complex as they are captivating, demanding technical finesse from the ensemble and a deep understanding of the underlying musical architecture. Here, Dease and his ensemble prove more than up for the task.
Each track on this album presents a new perspective of Hill’s distinctive compositional style—a blend of 20th-century classical, jazz, rock, and avant-garde elements that coalesce into something wholly original. The opener, “The Last Pop Tune,” ... [ read the full article ]
