Jazz fusion/crossover jazz. Intimate and relaxing to intense and grooving - a full circle of style and attitude. An instrumental concept album where all songs are connected in the form of a suite.

9 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Fusion, JAZZ: Crossover Jazz



Details:
I first heard Winton Reynolds play in Austin, TX at an upscale jazz pub. Austin is known for its live performances, so it takes a lot for a newcomer to garner any notoriety. From the moment I walked in the door, Winton Reynolds commanded my attention. He was playing some jazz standards with some session players. Although I had heard all of the tunes before, Winton's rendering was as fresh and vibrant as the first time those songs were played in the Cotton Club or the Palace. Winton manages to maintain great technical skill at the piano without compromising the spirit and soul of the music. His music has no sharp edges - it is a wave of passion and warmth and sophistication that draws from the listener an awareness of life and a sense of belonging to something larger than himself.

Yet Winton does not merely update the past; he defines the future. He is a fine composer that builds on the jazz tradition by exploring samba-reggae rhythms and fusion in his original works. His debut album, Circles in Time, provides us with the assurance that jazz music is alive and well in the new millennium. You can sense the allure of Latin America while listening to Biscoito Total and fall pray to its enchanting Brazilian beat, or delight in the funky syncopation of Tight Metal Underwear and marvel at the masterful blend of rhythm and melody that Winton maintains during this tour de force. The balance of the album provides an amazing texture that speaks to the quality of Winton's vision and spirit. Circles in Time is a great start for an emerging jazz composer.

Personnel:
Winton Reynolds, piano: http://www.wintonreynolds.com
Cathy Morris, violin: http://www.cathymorris.com
Peter Kienle, guitar: http://www.acmerecords.com/peterkienle.php
Steve Dokken, bass
Tony Medeiros, drums
N. Scott Robinson, African and middle-eastern percussion: http://www.nscottrobinson.com/

Winton Reynolds has been active as a freelance pianist/keyboardist and session musician in Austin, TX, the California Bay Area, and Indianapolis, IN. Winton has toured throughout the US and Canada as accompanist for Rounder Records recording artist Carrie Newcomer. He is currently the primary pianist in the Austin based bands Trio4mas, The Brew, Tiburon, and The Atlantics.

Winton received a Masters degree in Jazz Studies and a Doctorate in Jazz Studies and Composition from the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, IN. He has taught jazz piano, jazz history, and a wide array of music theory courses at Indiana University, Purdue University, Huston-Tillotson College, and the University of Texas at Austin.