Billy Mohler - Ultraviolet

October 11, 2023

Label: Contagious Music, 2023

Personnel - Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Shane Endsley: trumpet; Billy Mohler: bass; Nate Wood: drums.

Bassist Billy Mohler’s third album with his chord-less quartet showcases an impressive melodic sensibility and an adventurous groove-centered approach, integrating rhythmic elements from pop/rock and contemporary jazz. Not surprising as Ultraviolet follows the success of Focus! (Make Records, 2019) and Anatomy (Contagious Music, 2022) with distinction. The nine compelling compositions here unfold with sly amusement and seem tailor-made for this ensemble The band boasts a robust frontline with saxophonist Chris Speed and trumpeter Shane Endsley, with drummer Nate Wood joining Mohler in the creation of sharp-edged rhythmic foundations.

“Matador” is the short yet beautiful miniature piece that opens the album, leading into the title cut, “Ultraviolet”, one of the first compositions crafted for this program and recorded in a single take. The track begins with Mohler’s big, round sound generating the insane groove that will give the floor to the theme’s unison statement. The inherent rock spirit continues throughout “The Wait”, seasoned with a bass and drums expertise that dispenses any harmonic instrument. There’s ample space for the melodic traits of Speed and Endsley, whose expertly crafted phrases intertwine freely before revisiting the main theme. Also with a controlled pace but prescinding from this dimensional groovy atmosphere, the hypnotic “Aberdeen” pays homage to Kurt Cobain, the late frontman of Nirvana.

The joyous abandon of “Evolution” directs our attention to a bluesy avant-garde jazz reminiscent of greats like Ornette Coleman and the fruitful collaboration between Don Cherry and Dewey Redman. The exploration of rhythmic aesthetics reaches a peak in “Disorder II”, a danceable, looping exercise that suggest a combination of PIL and Prodigy while confining the duo of horn players to focused team work. Wood claims the spotlight in the last segment, infesting it with booming drum breaks.

One notable aspect of the album is the judicious length of the tracks. “Reconstruction”, the lengthiest piece at eight minutes, never succumbs to a sense of prosaic wandering. It’s a blues-based exertion with an appealing gravitational pull and horn trajectories skillfully enveloped in a reverb effect during post-production.

It’s all here, in a fusion of creativity, well-crafted grooves, masterful solos, and lively polyphonic interplay. An album that invites listeners to fully immerse themselves in its vibrant offerings.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Disorder II ► 04 - The Wait ► 09 - Reconstruction

Billy Mohler - Anatomy

June 6, 2022

Label: Contagious Music, 2022

Personnel - Chris Speed: tenor saxophone; Shane Endsley: trumpet; Billy Mohler: bass; Nate Wood: drums.

Bassist Billy Mohler boasts a deep, rich sound that perfectly suits the styles he explores. His pieces are rock-oriented, shaped with alluring grooves and provided with ample room for jazz-inspired improvisation. The gripping, luxurious quartet he brings with him - saxophonist Chris Speed, trumpeter Shane Endsley, and drummer Nate Wood - denote an excellent musicianship, sharing the same taste for a hybrid combination that feels flexible and free.

Anatomy begins with “Abstract 1”, the first of three unaccompanied bass-centered vignettes, which foreshadows what emerges over the course of the album. This is followed by “Fight Song”, a hooky and immediate cut about the different kinds of conflict that surround us. Musically, you won't find conflict at all but rather a striking consistency between the stupendously grooving bass, the energetic rock drumming, and horn lines that navigate the robust rhythm with avant-jazz energy.

“Nightfall” glows and dances with passionate admiration for the city of New York, having Mohler delineating the passages he wrote with a strong sense of harmony. Meanwhile, the men in the frontline establish a nice and warm communication. Endsley shows how extrovert he is in his soloing duties. One can detect a pretty similar routine on “Perseverance”, whose unchanging rhythm envelops us like a dense fog. Yet, Speed follows Endsley here, in an improvisation full of timbral sophistication. They both dance around each other while connecting through engaging counter melodies.

The groove-laden “Equals” begins with sax and trumpet in tandem, and bass and drums in the pocket. After the head, it morphs into a Morphine-sounding mix of punk sweetness and energy that makes us move our feet. Mohler wrote “Speed Kills” for the saxophonist in this album, who responds with a hook-nosed statement that brims with inside/outside prowess.

Mohler brings the record to a conclusion with “Moonglow”, which echoes a late-night lounge feel with a steady pulsation and calm composure. Just like all the other cuts on this album, this is an original by the bassist, despite sharing the same title as the 32-bar jazz standard made popular by Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Art Tatum.

Anatomy consists of an utterly satisfying set of tunes that, being straightforward in the flow and impeccable in the sound, stands tall in its own.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Fight Song ► 03 - Nightfall ► 04 - Equals

Billy Mohler - Focus!

December 2, 2019

Label: Make Records, 2019

Personnel - Chris Speed: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Shane Endsley: trumpet; Billy Mohler: bass; Nate Wood: drums.

Billy Mohler’s credits in the music industry are impressive. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied electric and acoustic bass, he became a renowned composer, songwriter, and producer, working in different musical spheres such as pop, rock, and R&B. Lately, Mohler has made the decision to return to jazz, his strongest passion, and release an album, Focus!, where he shows compositional abilities and a strong sense of line as part of the rhythmic thrust inherent to the material. His muscular, chordless quartet is stocked with expressive colorists such as tenor saxophonist Chris Speed (Claudia Quintet, Alas No Axis, Endangered Blood, Human Feel), trumpeter Shane Endsley (Kneebody, Steve Coleman) and drummer Nate Wood (Kneebody, Donny McCaslin), with whom he forms a proactive rhythm team.

The album comprises eight self-penned tunes, whose elasticity and rhythmic glee bring the best in these artists, who correspond with flair and audacity.

“Deconstruction” leads off the album with an animated groove and crisp unisons, but it’s not the only forward-moving piece on the record that arrives full of life. “Distant Star”, for example, is grounded in restless bass moves and effervescent drums that fire the imagination of the horn players. By the end, Wood is invited to infuse bright streams of percussion. Bestowing a similar gripping energy, we have “Van’s Jam”, a raw and groovy and shifting piece fueled by stunning dynamics and improvisations, and “Visible Light”, whose expressive elation - slightly Latinized - is worthy of send us out and hit the dancefloor. Sweeping and zigzagging from left to right, Speed and Endsley interact with acumen, speeding through the fast rhythmic lanes provided by the rhythm team. These are tunes crafted with both discipline and adventure.

Even balancing the energy with thoughtful reflection, “Even Tide” and “Coin” are still different in nature. The former kicks in with lone bass, assuring an attractive languid pace through a well-rooted riff that repeats throughout. In turn, the latter, more atmospheric and minimalist, is designed with deep arco playing, subdued yet crucial mallet work for stability, and pondered lines from clarinet and trumpet.

The medium-tempo “Prairie Flower” has round thick bass lines and mallet-colored drumming paving the way for gorgeous horn riffery. If the melody draws on folk, then the overall disposition is not very far from avant-garde epics.

Great part of the pleasure of this disc stems from the way how grooves and melodies dance together. There’s no mystery here, only pure fun. And this recording, besides affirming Mohler as a valid jazz groover, is amply rewarding to behold.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - Prairie Flower ► 05 - Van’s Jam ► 06 - Even Tide