by Kelly Sill
This month marks the return of the popular “Zwee Dot” column to Chicago Jazz Magazine. For this edition, Kelly Sill shares his listening notes to Matt Ulery’s “The Air We Breathe” from the October 15, 2019 release, Delicate Charms. Welcome back, Kelly!
“The Air We Breathe”
From the recording
Delicate Charms – Woolgathering Records
Matt Ulery – October 15, 2019
Greg Ward – Alto saxophone
Zach Brock – Violin
Rob Clearfield – Piano
Matt Ulery – Double bass
Quin Kirchner – Drums
00:02 And it begins
00:05 I like this
00:07 Very powerful intro
00:11 The figure itself got faster, though tempo stayed the same (hemiola)
00:15 Violin and saxophone enter, first playing the figure
00:19 And then playing a counter line
00:29 Piano takes over, still basically playing with the figure
00:38 Now starts a very strong melody, still based on the figure
00:51 The melody is beginning to be developed
00:59 The melody is beginning to get very interesting
01:08 And now they’re back to the opening figure and simple theme
01:21 This is different, although very strongly relying on the figure
01:29 A lot more interesting harmonic development here
01:38 Whoa! There is the opening theme again, though almost sounding angry
01:46 Now just piano plus rhythm
01:53 Piano solo; the first real improvisation in this piece
02:09 Nice exposition
02:20 Keeping a few simple themes
02:25 Now he just launched right into it
02:45 Digging into the changes it sounds like he’s coming down
03:00 It sounds like he’s coming down
03:06 And he did
03:09 Back to the opening figure on piano
03:17 Now the alto solo
03:20 He’s immediately into the changes
03:23 Quite a flurry of stuff
03:46 And now he’s slowing down some
04:03 Interesting development of the melody
04:16 Similar development between flurries
04:31 Same thing; clear development between flurries
04:37 Piano starts opening figure again
04:50 That was interesting; solo continued through the figure
04:57 And now the solo continues
05:06 Back to the changes
05:13 Sounds like he’s coming down
05:25 I was wrong
05:36 Still embedded in the solo
05:50 Nice mutual improv
06:04 More exposition of a theme between flurries
06:07 And there is the opening figure again
06:15 Everyone is in on the figure
06:24 Similar to the opening theme
06:28 Now just piano
06:39 Now everyone is in
06:42 The out-head
07:11 The figure again
07:19 It was part of the out-head
07:36 Nice
07:39 The angry figure
07:54 Just like the in-head
07:57 And it just stops; another great cut!
Kelly Sill has been a mainstay of the Chicago jazz scene for more than 35 years. After receiving his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he returned to Chicago.
He has since performed and recorded with a vast array of jazz artists, including Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Art Farmer, Eddie Jefferson, Clark Terry, Cedar Walton, Herb Ellis, Woody Shaw, Hank Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Chris Potter, Ernie Watts, Bob Mintzer, Mel Torme, Anita O'Day, Janice Borla, Jack Mouse, Jackie McLean, Joey DeFrancesco, Donald Byrd, Bobby Watson, Eddie Harris, Scott Hamilton, Victor Lewis, Clifford Jordan, Bucky Pizzarelli, and many more.
He has performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Elkhart Jazz Festival, the Red Sea Jazz Festival, Thessaloniki Concert Hall in Greece, and Symphony Center in Chicago.
Kelly has served on the faculties of Northeastern Illinois University, Lake Forest College, DePaul University, and Northern Illinois University. For questions or comments please contact him at kellysill1@gmail.com or visit his website at KellySill.com.