Charles Tolliver Presents Blue Soul

The august trumpeter and composer Charles Tolliver has covered a lot of ground over the last half-century, and it would be fair to say he has nothing left to prove. Why, then, is there still so much driving urgency in his music? Consider “Blue Soul.

- Nate Chinen, WBGO

Charles Tolliver is a master of all trades. The New York-based trumpeter, active since the 1960s, is a leading player, educator, big band leader, composer, and founder of the one of the greatest jazz labels of all time, Strata East.

We are delighted to say that today marks Charles Tolliver’s first release with Gearbox Records, as well as his first in more than a decade. His new single ‘Blue Soul’, an original composition that grooves and fizzes with energy and anger, is digitally available via all good streaming platforms.

The track forms part of Tolliver’s forthcoming album, Connect, which will be out on 31 July, 2020 on Vinyl, CD, and Digital. Recorded to tape at RAK Studios in London last November by Tony Platt (The Bad Plus, Abdullah Ibrahim, Bob Marley), the four-track album features the Charles Tolliver All-Stars, comprising some of the most experienced jazz musicians of New York: Jesse Davis on alto saxophone, Keith Brown on piano, Buster Williams on double bass, and Lenny White on drums. The album also bridges together New York and London by featuring leading British saxophonist Binker Golding on two tracks.

As explained by Tolliver in the liner notes, the purpose of Connect is to showcase “our Artform’s quintessential genre” using an ensemble of top musicians with “complete knowledge” of its bonafide underpinnings.

Active since the 1960s, Charles Tolliver has been carrying the torch for jazz through his activities as accomplished trumpeter, educator at The New School, arranger for big band, and founder of the iconic Strata-East label which was responsible for releasing albums by Gil Scott-Heron, Clifford Jordan, Charlie Rouse, and Shirley Scott amongst others. As an entirely self-taught musician, he has collaborated with renowned artists such as Roy Haynes, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, and McCoy Tyner.

He once explained his method of improvisation in a Downbeat magazine interview.

I like to rumble. I take the most difficult routes for improvisation. It’s easy to play a number of choruses effortlessly and never make a mistake, never break down. That’s no fun. You need to get in hot water by trying something out right from the jump…

Charles Tolliver was recently interviewed by Kevin Le Gendre for Echoes Magazine, where he discusses the recording of Connect as well as previous experiences playing with Max Roach and Andrew Hill. Read about it here

PREORDER 'Connect' by Charles Tolliver HERE