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(photo: Thomas Seggers)
System Of 5
I started working on writing and arranging for a tenor sax-trombone fronted quintet about a year ago. The first performance was in Chicago at Elastic with Keefe Jackson, ts - Jeb Bishop, tb - Nate McBride, b and Nori Tanaka, d. Encouraged by that performance I wrote some more music and performed it in October 2007 again in Chicago at Gallery 37 with a different line-up: Jason Stein, bcl - Jeff Parker, g - Nate McBride, b and Tim Daisy, d. Back in Boston, I returned to the original two-horn frontline and was lucky to be able to enlist some of Boston's best players for the continuation of this project.
Luther Gray, Jef Charland and I are well-acquainted through numerous collaborations over the past few years, mostly as a trio. I had played with Matt Langley about 18 years ago in a larger ensemble and had wanted to play again ever since, so it was a great joy to renew our working relationship over this project. Jeff Galindo has played extensively with everybody else in the band but me, but our rapport was extraordinary from the start. After a couple of local performances in the area, we were ready to record. The new CD will be called System Of 5.
PK
Live review by Stu Vandermark
"On 1/27 at the Lily Pad I witnessed something I hadn’t seen in quite a while, the birth of a profoundly remarkable jazz ensemble. I guess it should not be surprising that Pandelis Karayorgis would produce such a startlingly fine band, but for him it was huge, a quintet. We all know how fine Pandelis is as a soloist, and he’s led superb duos and trios. Occasionally there has been what for him is a large band--a quartet. But that’s relatively rare. All along--I’m guessing--there has been a five-man beast lurking in the shadows of the pianist’s attic, and I never guessed it. Boy, did I miss the boat.
This is not just a nice new band. These guys--Jeff Gallindo, Matt Langley, Jef Charland, Luther Gray, and Pandelis--hit the ground running and breathing fire. No business as usual here. Head-solos-head? Not a chance. Each guy taking a turn with “appropriate” individual or ensemble support? Nope. There are heads, but the writing-thinking-prodding does not end there. There are no predictable sequences of solos. Everybody gets to play, but the extent to which each soloist is supported individually or by twos or by more is not predictable. And, if that’s not enough, the charts and the playing are NOT CLEVER. The instant you hear it you know that every arranged sequence of events is a necessity of the moment and of the entire arc of the piece. These are wonderful charts, performed by some of my favorite musicians. It is not surprising that the solos are extraordinary, and the guys can’t wait to start playing. At the end of each set, the musicians are almost giddy with joy. This is the real deal.
If you are lucky enough to discover that the Pandelis Karayorgis Quintet will be performing in your village, please notify the fire department. And when you go to the gig, bring someone you love."
Stu Vandermark, CADENCE (April-June 2008)
"Last January's debut at the Lily Pad by this uncompromisingly adventurous group was among the most impressive performances of the year. Now they're back, led by compelling pianist/composer Karayorgis, with fiery saxophonist Matt Langley, astonishing trombonist Jeff Galindo, and the splendid rhythm section of bassist Jef Charland and drummer Luther Gray."
Kevin Lowenthal, Boston Globe, November 23, 2008
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