Search - Pete Robbins :: Centric

On his debut album Centric, Pete Robbins brings his own distinct voice to a well-known setting: the jazz quintet. The recording features eight of Robbins' intricate compositions interpreted by Mike Gamble on guitar, Chris Van Voorst Van Beast on bass, Pete Zimmer on drums, tenor saxophone extraordinaire George Garzone, and Mr. Robbins on alto sax. On Centric, Pete's liquid, searching improvisational style injects unpredictable metric, rhythmic, and harmonic material into the quintet's sound. But the crux of the album for Robbins is the emotional honesty of the compositions. In his own words: "I use odd meters and meandering key centers to keep the performers and listeners interested, and the music constantly in motion. But the songs have to speak ... they have to say something on an emotional level, otherwise it's pretty pointless, I think." The album is marked by the skillful and tasteful choices of Zimmer and Van Voorst, the sensitivity and unpredictability of Gamble's guitar work, and Robbins' understated melodies on alto and the strength of his compositions. But the key feature is the tenor saxophone madness created by George Garzone, best known for his work with his trio The Fringe and for his two solo albums on NYC Records, which feature the work of Joe Lovano, Kenny Werner, and others. Garzone's flurries of sound, interspersed with crooning swoons and gales, provide ample contrast with Robbins' subtle alto work. Together, the two lead a stellar quintet through eight varied and engaged tunes, leaving the listener hoping that there's more where Centric came from.