Artist description 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 Beest 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 ... the y 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' underst ated 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 o f 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, lea v ing the listener hoping that there's more where Centric came from.... (produced by Pete Robbins, recorded & mixed by Peter Kontrimas, distributed by Telepathy Records)Pô

Music Style jazz

Group Members Pete Robbins, alto sax; George Garzone, tenor sax; Mike Gamble, guitar; Chris Van Voorst Van Beest, bass; Pete Zimmer, drumss

Albums Centric (2001)

Press Reviews Sax to the max. This guy rules. His harmonies hang on rhythmic waves that swing, pause, pulsate, and all but plead for piano accompaniment, which is missing on his fresh, funky, meditative album. Joshua Redman, a polished gun who shoots blanks, could learn much about depth of tone, use of registers, and the element of surprise from this youngster. (Village Voice, December 2002)

Additional Info All music written & arranged by Pete Robbins ©2001

Location Boston, MA - USA

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