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What a great honor and wonderful time attending the 2018 Grammy Celebration in New York surrounded by family and several of the Surge members. Thanks to all of you who supported us!!

 

 

 

 

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On Nov. 28th, “Whispers On the Wind”, the 6th and latest CD from Chuck Owen with the Jazz Surge was honored with FOUR GRAMMY nominations for:

  • Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
  • Best Improvised Jazz Solo (Sara Caswell, Vln.)
  • Best Instrumental Composition (Warped Cowboy)
  • Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella (All Hat, No Saddle)

This brings the ensemble’s total up to 7 (!), having received two for “River Runs” in 2014 and one for “The Comet’s Tail” in 2010.

Reviews have been effusive in their praise for “Whispers” with SoulandJazz.com and JazzWeekly naming in their Jazz CD of the week:

  • “creative, poetic, . . . wildly personal” – Buffalo News
  • “a grand sweeping set . . . . Killer Stuff!” – Midwest Record Reviews
  • “an impressive melding of Montana and 52nd St.” – Jazz Weekly
  • “Reality on a sizzling hot silver platter.: – Medium.com

For more comments and reviews visit: http://www.chuckowen.com/media/reviews-and-testimonials/

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Please check out the newly renovated webstore where, in addition to Jazz Surge CDs you’ll find an expanded array of charts (including some re-orchestrated versions that eliminate woodwind doubles) and study scores. In addition to the “Whispers” charts, you’ll find arrangements Chuck crafted for Denmark’s Aarhus Jazz Orchestra available for the first time.

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While Sept. 8th found most of us Floridians hunkering down or making plans to flee from Hurricane Irma, the Jazz Surge’s latest recording, “Whispers On the Wind”, was widely released.   No sooner than it hit store shelves (a modern metaphor if there ever was one!!), Jeff Simon of the Buffalo News penned the first review calling the project, “creative, poetic, and liable to do all manner of unexpected things in service to American vision”.  In addition, in its 1st week out of the box, the recording debuted atop the “most added” chart in JazzWeek! 

More from Jeff Simon:
“Owen’s record is from another tradition altogether – where Gil Evans could add the poetry of Claude Thornhill’s dance band to Duke Ellington’s highly personal sonic laboratory and come up with wildly personal and unusual syntheses of jazz and pop sound no one had thought of.”