"Ali Ryerson’s flute playing, Pete Levin’s arrangements and noted sidemen combine to make this album artistically satisfying as well as commercially viable. The ensemble sound is contemporary, the recording quality reminiscent of CTI label productions of the 1970s. Ryerson’s sidemen include Levin on keyboards, Mike Mainieri on vibes, Mike DeMicco on guitar, Mark Egan on electric bass and Danny Gottlieb on drums.

Ryerson’s playing is both perky and willowy, and there are fleeting references to flutists Hubert Laws and Jeremy Steig, both of whom recorded for CTI. But you would not mistake her for either. She conveys an independent spirit, evident not only in her playing but also in her choice of tunes: Satie’s “1st Gymnopédie” (in a Modern Jazz Quartet bag at times), Levin’s “Another Time, Another Place” (a folksy/sylvan, classical-type melody), Levin’s title tune (a funky, CTI-ish groove), “Where Flamingos Fly” (an exotic reworking of Gil Evans’ arrangement from his Out of the Cool album) and “You Don’t Know What Love Is” (a moody and swinging flute-and-vibes duet), among them. Ryerson’s improvisations breathe, and she has a range of attacks, from seductive and breathy to acutely rhythmic and birdlike.

Levin’s charts get lots of color from the guitar-vibes-piano/electric piano-bass-drums ensemble. Egan’s rubbery electric bass sustain, deep on the bottom, is juxtaposed against Ryerson’s lead on top, with light and dark harmonies in the middle and Gottlieb cooking, commenting and complementing masterfully in the groove department. There’s a lot of experience in the group—Mainieri with Steps Ahead, Levin with Gil Evans for 15 years, DeMicco with the Brubeck Brothers, and Egan and Gottlieb with Pat Metheny—and they know exactly what to put in and what to leave out." 
- Owen Cordle, JazzTimes

"You Don't Know What Love Is" / From "Con Brio!"

"Daahoud," from the great Clifford Brown's songbook, is the lead cut from The Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Big Band's new Capri Records release, "Game Changer." This arrangement is by Mark Levine, with Paul Lieberman adding solos on C and bass flutes.

Critics are praising the disc as "breathtaking." This is from Steven Cerra of JazzProfiles.com:

"Breathtaking has got to be one of the most overworked phrases ever used in association with the flute in Jazz.

"And yet, when it comes to the Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Big Band debut CD Game Changer [Capri Records 74124-2], “breathtaking” is literally and figuratively the only way to describe it, both in terms of its conception and execution.



"Simply put, it is a magnificent recording from beginning to end, the result of a 10 year project [love affair?] spearheaded by Ali to create a big band made up entirely of flutes.

"There are many things to like about this recording, but for me the first place to start leveling accolades is at the song selection."

More at:
http://aliryerson-store.stores.yahoo.net/

"Daahoud" / From "Game Changer"

"Sail Away" is a Tom Harrell composition from The Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Big Band's new Capri Records release, "Game Changer." The arrangement here is by pianist Mike Wofford, and Ali is the featured soloist on alto flute.

Critics are praising "Game Changer" as "breathtaking." This is from Steven Cerra of JazzProfiles.com:

"Breathtaking has got to be one of the most overworked phrases ever used in association with the flute in Jazz.

"And yet, when it comes to the Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Big Band debut CD Game Changer [Capri Records 74124-2], “breathtaking” is literally and figuratively the only way to describe it, both in terms of its conception and execution.

"Simply put, it is a magnificent recording from beginning to end, the result of a 10 year project [love affair?] spearheaded by Ali to create a big band made up entirely of flutes.

"There are many things to like about this recording, but for me the first place to start leveling accolades is at the song selection."

More at:
aliryerson-store.stores.yahoo.net/

"Sail Away" / From "Game Changer"

"Ana Maria" is the second track on The Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Big Band's new Capri Records release, "Game Changer." The arrangement here is by pianist Mike Wofford, with solo work from Marc Adler on alto flute and Rufus Reid, bass.

Critics are praising "Game Changer" as "breathtaking." This is from Steven Cerra of JazzProfiles.com:

"Breathtaking has got to be one of the most overworked phrases ever used in association with the flute in Jazz.

"And yet, when it comes to the Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Big Band debut CD Game Changer [Capri Records 74124-2], “breathtaking” is literally and figuratively the only way to describe it, both in terms of its conception and execution.

"Simply put, it is a magnificent recording from beginning to end, the result of a 10 year project [love affair?] spearheaded by Ali to create a big band made up entirely of flutes.

"There are many things to like about this recording, but for me the first place to start leveling accolades is at the song selection."

More at:
aliryerson-store.stores.yahoo.net/

"Ana Maria" / From "Game Changer"

"First Date"
Flutology

"Over the years, bop has had its share of summit sessions -- that is, sessions in which three or four people are playing the same instrument. Prestige was big on summits in the '50s; back then, the label's A&R department seemed to be especially fond of tenor sax, alto sax, and trumpet summits. But flute summits have been a rarity in bop, which has a lot to do with the fact that the flute hasn't been among jazz's more prominent wind instruments; in jazz, flutists have always been greatly outnumbered by trumpeters and saxophonists. A rare example of a flute summit, First Date finds three flutists -- Frank Wess, Holly Hofmann, and Ali Ryerson -- forming a front line and joining forces with a rhythm section that consists of pianist Mike Wofford, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Ben Riley. There are no saxophones, trumpets, clarinets, or trombones in the Flutology sextet -- just the all-flute front line and a rhythm section -- and this yields enjoyable results on three Wess compositions as well as familiar standards like Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born" and Lee Morgan's "Ceora." Yes, some of the standards that Flutology embraces on this 2003 date have been beaten to death over the years, but how often have you heard three flutists tackling Charlie Parker's "Bebop" or Hank Mobley's "This I Dig of You" simultaneously and doing so without any help from sax or trumpet players? Besides, Flutology also unearths some worthwhile compositions that, as of 2003, hadn't become standards, including Don Grolnick's "Rainesville" and pianist Bill Cunliffe's "Flutopia." So one cannot accuse this sextet of having an "all-warhorses-all-the-time" policy when it comes to selecting material. One can, however, see the historic value of the three-flute front line that Flutology brings to the pleasing First Date."
- AllMusic.com

"Pretty Is" / From "First Date"

"Ali Ryerson’s flute playing, Pete Levin’s arrangements and noted sidemen combine to make this album artistically satisfying as well as commercially viable. The ensemble sound is contemporary, the recording quality reminiscent of CTI label productions of the 1970s. Ryerson’s sidemen include Levin on keyboards, Mike Mainieri on vibes, Mike DeMicco on guitar, Mark Egan on electric bass and Danny Gottlieb on drums.

Ryerson’s playing is both perky and willowy, and there are fleeting references to flutists Hubert Laws and Jeremy Steig, both of whom recorded for CTI. But you would not mistake her for either. She conveys an independent spirit, evident not only in her playing but also in her choice of tunes: Satie’s “1st Gymnopédie” (in a Modern Jazz Quartet bag at times), Levin’s “Another Time, Another Place” (a folksy/sylvan, classical-type melody), Levin’s title tune (a funky, CTI-ish groove), “Where Flamingos Fly” (an exotic reworking of Gil Evans’ arrangement from his Out of the Cool album) and “You Don’t Know What Love Is” (a moody and swinging flute-and-vibes duet), among them. Ryerson’s improvisations breathe, and she has a range of attacks, from seductive and breathy to acutely rhythmic and birdlike.

Levin’s charts get lots of color from the guitar-vibes-piano/electric piano-bass-drums ensemble. Egan’s rubbery electric bass sustain, deep on the bottom, is juxtaposed against Ryerson’s lead on top, with light and dark harmonies in the middle and Gottlieb cooking, commenting and complementing masterfully in the groove department. There’s a lot of experience in the group—Mainieri with Steps Ahead, Levin with Gil Evans for 15 years, DeMicco with the Brubeck Brothers, and Egan and Gottlieb with Pat Metheny—and they know exactly what to put in and what to leave out."
- Owen Cordle, JazzTimes


"Shadows" / From "Con Brio!"

"Con Brio!" / From "Con Brio!"

"Jazz Folk" / From "Con Brio!"

"Eclipse" / From "Con Brio!"

"Lydian Grin" / From "Con Brio!"

Internationally renowned jazz flutist Ali Ryerson, consistently voted among the top jazz flutists in the Downbeat Jazz Poll for nearly a decade, is on tour with her quintet promoting the release of her most recent CD as leader, ‘Con Brio!’. 

The Ali Ryerson Quintet features players well-known for their contributions to the contemporary jazz scene: keyboardist and arranger Pete Levin, a top NY session player & Moog synthesizer pioneer, best known for his 15 year association with the legendary Gil Evans and his 8 year stint with jazz icon Jimmy Giuffre; guitarist/composer Mike DeMicco, long-time guitarist with the Brubeck Brothers; the original bassist from the Pat Metheny Group, Mark Egan, with his unique fretless electric bass sound, and the exciting addition of drummer Karl Latham, a veteran of the European Jazz scene since 1993, now a sought after drummer in the NY area. 

The music is adventurous and contemporary, with a focus on original material.


Ali Ryerson

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