DENNIS ROLLINS VELOCITY TRIO

The 11th Gate

2012-01-20

Dennis Rollins began playing trombone in Britain’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra. His early influences include Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, J.J. Johnson, and Kai Winding. With Ross Stanley on organ and Pedro Segundo as percussionist, together they make the Velocity Trio. The 11th Gate is their debut collaboration. This album has a broader jazz appeal than the mostly funk jazz featured in his Badbone & Co. releases. Recommended tracks 4 “Ujamma,” 6 “The Other Side” and 11 “The 11th Gate” “Ujamma” is a bolder edition with brighter jazz elements than the version on Rollins’ earlier Badbone & Co release of the same tune. Track 5 is a 1.5 minute percussion demo that gets you to pay attention before the true gem of this album, track 6 “The Other Side” – a conventional jazz piece that showcases Stanley’s Hammond. This album rolls from fusion to free jazz and ends with the thought-provoking breath stopper “The 11th Gate.” There is no distraction from pure trombone on this title track. - Pam VandeKerkhoff

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