Foremen

Foremen is a drummer led quartet with a drummer-less focus in sound. Don Peretz Foremen is an exploration of free improvised music through the roots of melody and song. The acoustic quartet seems to capture a listener that might not normally be captured in listening to progressive jazz. Playing out of New York City's new music venues, Foremen have keyed their own collective approach to improvised music, acquiring a strong following of listeners in New York.

"I wanted a group that dug into the depths of melody and improvisation to a point that would not only inspire the players, but touch listeners from all sorts of backgrounds."

-Don Peretz

Tracklist

Album details

Press reviews

"Drummer Don Peretz is onto something here as he pilots this New York City-based quartet through an expansive musical aura where improvisation and compositional structure attain a happy medium. Take for example, Russ Johnsons crybaby-like muted trumpet choruses on Simple Man, as Perez and bassist Dave Ambrosio lay down a tight groove amid a tunefully, blues-oriented primary theme.

The simplistic connotations of the track's title summon up acute visual characteristics, but the bands makeover features a medley of programmatic horn choruses and loosely organized jazz grooves. Many of these pieces are stoked in wide-ranging mosaics of sound and style, spanning Ornette Coleman-style free bop, hard bop, and jazz-funk. However, the majority of Peretzs compositions boast sustaining melody lines, often coated with prophetic musical statements.

The quartets rendition of Nirvanas Smells Like Teen Spirit looms as a solemn jazz dirge where teen spirit is branded with sorrow and remorse. However, the rhythm section subsequently ups the tempo for the coda, suggesting an air of optimism.
This units sovereign approach to jazz covers quite a bit of terrain, as Peretzs arrangements generally convey tangible storylines that are embedded within the soloists improvisations. (A recommended pick for 2005)"

-Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz