DREW GRESS SEVEN BLACK BUTTERFLIES
in collaboration with VPRO Radio
Tim Berne-alto saxophone, Ralph Alessi-trumpet, Craig Taborn-piano, Drew Gress-bass, Tom Rainey-drums
Drew Gress is one of the busiest bass players in New York and many leading names like Uri Caine, Fred Hersch, Dave Douglas and Don Byron invited him to collaborate with them. Which is totally understandable because Dress unites the best of both worlds inside him; solid accompany based on the ground values of the tradition and an open mind during the exploration of the free space. This also counts for his compositions in which structures, related to bebop and Mingus, stimulate to creative explosions. ‘As a leader, Gress employs a superbly articulate bassist (himself), but his primary interest is composition and arrangement and collective concept.’ (Downbeat).