WGLT Podcast about Devils Hopyard

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gapplegatemusicreview

(excerpt) In short this CD has it all going, great compositional platforms played with authority, a horn & strings sound that puts this music in a league of its own, and the exuberant presence of two horn masters. I hope this band does some touring because it is impressive and should be heard widely. The Devil's Hopyard delivers some excellent music that you should not miss. - Grego Applegate

Point of Departure
(excerpt) What baritone saxophonist Glenn Wilson and trombonist Jim Pugh share with Chapin, apart from highly distinctive wind voices, is an ability to combine near-classical “correctness” with raw spontaneity, swing with freedom. These are intriguingly textured arrangements, packed with interesting and logical (as opposed to merely show-off) time changes, and some fascinating mise-en-abîme harmonics from the four string players.
There aren’t too many trombone and baritone fronted bands around. Mulligan/Brookmeyer might seem an obvious forerunner, but I was pleased to see Wilson citing Curtis Fuller’s underrated 1957 Bone & Bari (Blue Note) with the prolific but largely forgotten Tate Houston. I think Glenn even quotes from “Algonquin” on that album. He’s hip to the period, certainly, as he showed on his own One Man’s Blues (Sunnyside) in 2000, with its killer read of Hank Mobley’s “This I Dig Of You,” a great “Lester Left Town,” and the best jazz recording of “It Was A Very Good Year.” So that’s two more records you need to catch up on. Just don’t fail to get hold of this one. A beauty. - Brian Morton


Glenn Wilson - Baritone Sax, Flute
Jim Pugh - Trombone
Dorothy Martirano - Violin
Tomeka Reid - Cello
Armand Beaudoing - Bass
Chris Nolte - Bass
Josh Hunt - drums
Matt Plaskota - percussion

I'm very proud of the recording. This is some great music from Thomas Chapin, who was a good friend and musical inspriation to me. Tom was taken much too young in 1998 as he was at the top of his game in the 'downtown' scene' You can read about him at his site or in my liner notes to the CD.