Bill Fulton Band

Keyboardist, composer and arranger Bill Fulton has achieved an amazing coup for contemporary jazz with Time. He has successfully broken the curse that has hung over jazz keyboards since the early 1980s, using excellent arrangements and a tight group of performers to give these combo tracks the sense of a larger ensemble. Bright production and a joyously expansive sound, enhanced by his judicious application of keyboard tones, make Time one of the best contemporary jazz albums in recent memory.

Fulton's keyboard parts and band charts are so smartly organized, starting with the instantly engaging "The Land That Time Forgot", these could easily be expanded into highly entertaining big-band arrangements. His compositions are varied and well-constructed, from the pensive "Maple St." (which switches between 4/4 and 3/4) to the acoustic ballad "Anthem" and holy-rollin' gospel of "New Religion", a tune which could truly make the angels sing.

The sidemen are wisely selected and, though not very well-known for now, show considerable promise. Several different groupings of players appear, since not all the tracks were recorded in the same studio. Bassist David Enos and drummer Jason Harnell form an especially good rhythm team, balancing creativity and propulsion on tracks like "Time Squared". Veteran hornman Carl Saunders contributes a marvelous flugelhorn guest spot on "In Your Dreams", and Brian Scanlon's bittersweet soprano sax aptly matches Fulton's lush piano on "Anthem".

All in all, this album represents what the state of contemporary jazz should be; nay, what it should have been for a long, long time. An absolutely magical achievement by an immensely talented performer and writer. - AllAboutJazz.com

Contemporary jazz and a small band make great music when they're given enough freedom to enjoy what's going on. For his first solo recording session Bill Fulton composed all ten smooth songs and and plays keyboard. He's surrounded himself with the support of several strong performance units that include: saxophonist Tom Buckner, electric bassist Adam Cohen, drummer Kendall Kay, saxophonist Brian Scanlon, trumpeter Lee Thornburg, saxophonist Mike Nelson, and trumpeter Carl Saunders. Fulton's perky spontaneity breathes fire into innovative pieces such as "Secrets" and "Time Squared." Ballads such as "Anthem" and "In Your Dreams," provide lyrical themes that remain consistently fresh. The album's high point comes about through "New Religion" as Fulton applies his swinging piano magic to a timeless source of inspiration. It's New Orleans and a gospel revival rolled into one basket. Fred Horn and Mike McGuffey join Fulton for this one on alto and trumpet respectively, while Scanlon returns for a soul-stirring romp. He, Saunders, and Fulton turn "In Your Dreams" into a lovely ideal of what can be accomplished when each of the artists feels this free to express. - LA Jazz Scene

During this infectious set ("Time"), Bill Fulton switches quite comfortably between electric and acoustic keyboards and between fusion and soulful straightahead jazz. Altoist Brian Scanlon (doubling on tenor) and soprano-saxophonist Tom Buckner make good use of their solo space and Carl Saunders takes a guest flugelhorn solo on “In Your Dreams." Fulton's original songs are consistently catchy, the musicianship of his sidemen is very high and the music makes one feel good without being simplistic. This accessible and expertly constructed set is well worth checking out. - All Music Guide

While they wish they could, these musicians can't make a living playing in the clubs. Their reward is the joy they get in doing it. For example, not so long ago (11/12/03) at Borders Books in Thousand Oaks (CA), pianist-composer-arranger Bill Fulton made an appearance with his septet. A really tight, hard-playing little band that even die-hard big band listeners could enjoy. In the groove with leader Fulton was trombonist Nick Lane, Anne King on trumpet and flugelhorn, Glen Berger on tenor saxophone, Rick Rossi on alto sax, Adam Cohen at the bass and Dave Derge at the drums. With a tempo range from fast to moderate, the band did such tunes as "Somewhere in September," "The Land That Time Forgot," "Bolivia," "Girl of the Moment," and "In Your Face." It was a mix of originals and otherwise, and a good combination as might be expected of Fulton, who is also a composer-arranger in one of the animating studios. - LA Jazz Scene