Music
Press
What a wonderful CD from this Philadelphia collaborative. Beautiful, pretty, bare, sparse - the music is clearly straight-ahead Jazz with hints of Country and Folk. There is an almost timelessness to the music, it feels like it could have been released on ECM in 1974. Though there is plenty of good soloing, it is more about the compositions, which are hauntingly melodic. All of the songs are of equally high quality, and there is very little difference between v‘s. This is a gorgeous album, from a talented group of local musicians… perfect for WRPB. Play! - Gary Eisenberg, WPRB
“This is not your daddy's cover band. This is jazz, the way Coltrane and Dizzy played it. They take modern popular songs and make them jazz. And it WORKS.”
- Philly2night.com
Philadelphia's best answer to the question of what lies in that dead zone between Jazz and Rock is a musical Ellipsis. - Lavinia Wright, Freshout Media
Drummer Justin Leigh and pianist John Stenger head up Ellipsis, and their continuing residency at Tritone has entailed full-album renditions of Björk, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Jeff Buckley and others (first Wednesday every month, free downloadable sets at ellipsismakesmusic.com). But Ellipsis also plays Ellipsis—their originals tend toward anthemic gestures and sparse, swelling jazz-rock-folk melodies reminiscent of the Brian Blade Fellowship but with distinctly personal flourishes. Edge Hill Road, their new debut, is a brooding song cycle with unassailable musicianship from several of Philly’s finest young jazzers. Leigh and Stenger celebrate this week with saxists Jason O’Mara and Jon Thompson, guitarist Tim Conley and bassist Jason Fraticelli. With Oud Blues. David R. Adler - Philadelphia Weekly
Discography
Edge Hill Road (2009)
Photos
Bio
Ellipsis is a Philadelphia-based jazz group drawing from a widely diverse set of influences to create their unique sound. Formed in 2005 with the premise of playing jazz that could reach a younger audience, the group developed a repertoire ranging from Radiohead to John Coltrane to their own category-defying original compositions. Over the last four years, Ellipsis has evolved from a piano trio to a collective featuring the most creative musicians in Philadelphia.
Co-leaders John Stenger and Justin Leigh are both schooled jazz musicians, but in the music of Ellipsis you can also hear their love of singer-songwriters and indie rock. Their latest album, Edge Hill Road, is a dreamy collection of ten gorgeously crafted original compositions. The emphasis is on mood and texture rather than virtuosic displays, and the result is a beautiful record with a cinematic sense of story and drama.
More information at www.ellipsismakesmusic.com
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