Duplicate Entry: A Jazz Treat for Boston

They are a truly orchestral range of sounds and dynamics; are as strong and idiosyncratic as they are flexible and deeply in tune with each other and the music. 

Provocative, adventurous, dynamic, creative free form and unrestricted Jazz and improvisational music that can only mean a (re-)energy and enthusiasm for the human spirit that has been locked up for months now.

Musicians are open to new and innovative ideas – the music is always filled with joy and passion to improvise, drive; the will to research, extract and explore, as well as to demonstrate their own and modern conceptions of jazz.

Unusually constituted for Jazz group, in that it features cornet, guitar, bass and drums, this Rhode Island/Ct-based cooperative ensemble continues to fabricate is own identity by calling on the skills of each member. Veterans all, the group consists of cornetist Stephen Haynes, who has worked with Joe Morris and William Parker, guitarist Jeff Platz, who has an association with Daniel Carter among many others; bassist Damon Smith replaced by Joe Morris on bass for this concert), whose playing partners range from Weasel Walter to Joe McPhee; and percussionist Matt Crane, who worked his way from Punk Rock to Free Jazz.

Theory of Colors feature the four moving through examinations of tonal colors,With programs that distinctively synthesize outer-space-like sonic exploration and down-to-earth density, this Rhode Island four have created the most notable instrumental mix of that sort since Art Farmer and Jim Hall led a band with Steve Swallow and Walter Perkins. Yet by cutting themselves off from familiar material, the members’ achievement is even more significant.

—Ken Waxman Jazz Word

Jeff Platz – guitarist, composer, has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. He has performed in various music festivals world wide such as New York city’s “What is Jazz” festival, the “Heidelberg jazz festival” in Heidelberg Germany, Amsterdam’s” Crossing Borders” festival and the Munster International Jazz festival in Munster Germany.

The Berlin based music journalist Wolf Kampmann writes, “Platz’s music is generous although never accidental. The secret of its uninhibited quality lies more in Platz’s playful use of the familiar where intuition, feeling, and memory are the most important navigational instruments”

Jeff also co manages the German based music label Skycap Records. In November of 2005 he organized the first U.S. based Skycap Music festival which featured recently recorded Skycap artists such as Joe Morris, Steve Lantner and Jim Hobbs.

In May of 2010 Jeff released his latest quartet cd “Panoramic” featuring New York City legend Daniel Carter on reeds and trumpet. Free Jazz.com writes, “the ensemble is a wonderful example of cohesive playing and total sound, full of lyricism”. In a recent live review Downbeat magazine said “Platz’s group was truly amazing, on fire!”.

In July of 2010 Platz received a grant from the city of Muenster Germany for Werkstadt Tage, a multi media arts festival. In November of 2010 Platz will collaborate with visual artists to present a musical score for live improvisation and short film focusing on individual artists perspectives of the city of Muenster.

Platz is a guitarist who deserves wider attention, as he is both technically strong and has interesting musical ideas. He does not make his guitar sound like anybody else, and limiting his pedals to accentuate or emphasizes tone rather than to distort them, resulting in a jazzy sound with a sometimes brutal grunge approach. Interested readers should check out his two solo albums of last year, one more gentle (“Yo Como Solo“) and one more harsh and experimental (“Unknown Year“). Over the years Platz has performed with musicians such as Daniel Carter, Stephen Haynes and Jan Klare.

As time went on he eventually got into jazz music and improvisation, on and off enrollments in various music schools and private lessons helped me advance as guitarist and improviser.  The parallels between my early punk rock days and later dealings with jazz music; I feel are obvious in my playing today.  Both genres are extremely similar in their freedom, aggressiveness, and improvised elements.