Gold Sparkle Band
Squealer Music
Gold Sparkle Band's name might suggest Las Vegas flash and trash, but their music is about avant intellectualism and exploration. Led by reed player Charles Waters and trumpeter Robert Ruzow, this Atlanta, Georgia quartet captures the simmering energy of classic progressive jazz musicians like Ornette Coleman. Waters's reed work is particularly striking: his clarinet and sax solos swoop and dip over GSB's dark jazzscapes like a bat through a moonlit night sky. Occasionally he breaks into manic freakout sessions, for which he?s often joined by Ruzow. Bassist Adam Roberts and drummer Andrew Barker provide deep murky rhythms that drive GSB's compositions forward with powerful energy. The band brilliantly combines the sound of classic innovators like Coleman (as well as Eric Dolphy and others) with their own breathtaking experimentation.
GSB has put out three full-lengths: 1995's Earthmover, 1997's Downsizing (on Third Eye and Nu Records respectively, each with a slightly different lineup), and 2000's Nu*Soul Zodiac (on Squealer), which features the funky "Double Bump," the loose, cool "Borges," and the rhythmic, textured "Soul Zodiac."
Jesse Ashlock
last updated:
08/16/01
Similar Artists:
Ornette Coleman, The Vandermark 5, John Corbett & Heavy Friends
Other Suggestions:
Ken Vandermark's Joe Harriott Project,
Spaceways Incorporated,
Steam,
Steve Lacy,
John Zorn,
The Wharton Tiers Ensemble,
Joe McPhee,
The Denison Kimball Trio,
Hal Russell's Chemical Feast,
Tricolor,
Bablicon,
Mount Everest Trio,
Anthony Braxton,
William Hooker,
The Flying Luttenbachers,
Clifford Thornton New Art Ensemble
