Keith Vreeland and Bad Dog
Detroit, Michigan, United States | SELF
Music
Press
The Keith Vreeland Trio plays with the offhanded ease and casual invention of veterans more interested in the emotional marrow of the music than glitzy displays of technique or slick arrangements. Pianist Keith Vreeland, bassist John Dana and drummer Renell Gonsalves are, in fact, veteran Detroit warriors,and this set of mostly familiar tunes – including standards by Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea and Benny Golson – has the air of an after-hours session. The trio plays for itself and the spirit of its heroes rather than aiming for the perfect take.
The title track opens with a discursive piano intro before settling into a strolling ballad tempo for Monk’s timeless melody; the solos root around leisurely in the nooks of the harmony. On Corea’s “Hairy Canary” and “Straight Up and Down”, Vreeland mimics Corea’s pinging articulation and the shadow of the Bill Evans Trio appears at times. Models, however, never obscure the players’ identities. These are all engaging tunes played with sincerity.
- Detroit Free Press
We at WEMU know of Keith Vreeland through his association with the late Marvin Kahn. Keith made some beautiful music with Marvin, but it is a joy to hear him with this trio. He is a Detroit talent deserving much wider recognition. The same can be said for the members of his trio, John Dana and Renell Gonsalves. I hope "Ask Me Now" brings the proper attention to these three sensitive, soulful and swinging jazz musicians. It is certainly getting attention on WEMU! Linda - WEMU-FM 89.1
Graceful and intimate in a post Bill Evans sort of way, pianist Keith Vreeland, bassist John Dana and drummer Renell Gonsalves deserve to settle into a long residency in a quiet club with a rapt audience. Their repertoire is especially well, from the ubiquitous “Good-bye Porkpie Hat” to less well-known pieces like Tony Williams “Pee Wee.”
- Metrotimes
Discography
Note: except for Ask Me Now, all of the songs in these recordings are original compositions, written by the musicians who play them.
"Bad Dog, the Music of Keith Vreeland", Tree Studios, 2010.
Keith Vreeland: piano, Vincent Bowens: saxophones and flute, John Dana: bass, Renell Gonsalves: drums. Guest artists: James Hughes: alto saxophone, Ron English: guitar, Faruq Z. Bey: alto saxophone, Marvin Kahn: alto clarinet, Rodney Rich: guitar. (CD is available - contact Keith Vreeland at treestudios.net). The album and tracks are available as downloads at CDbaby.com.
"Ask Me Now", Keith Vreeland Trio, Tree Studios, 2006.
Keith Vreeland: piano, John Dana: bass, Renell Gonsalves: drums. (CD is available - contact Keith Vreeland at treestudios.net).
"Inner Beckoning', Lincoln Street Music Company, 2001.
Faquq Z. Bey: tenor saxophone, John Dana: bass, Doug Halladay: trumpet, Phil Lasley: alto saxophone, Danny Spencer: drums, Keith Vreeland: piano/keyboards. (CD is available - contact Keith Vreeland at treestudios.net).
"Legacy", Right Brain Productions, 2001.
Marvin Kahn: alto clarinet, Keith Vreeland: piano/keyboards. (CD out of print)
"Forget the Fortune, Eat the Cookie", Semper Records, 1996. Marvin Kahn: alto clarinet, Keith Vreeland: keyboards.(CD is available)
"Synesthesia", Right Brain Productions, 1988.
Keith Vreeland: keyboards, Marvin Kahn: alto clarinet.
(available only as a tape cassete)
"A Message From the Tribe", Wendell Harrison, Tribe Records, 1973. Wendell Harrison: tenor saxophone, Phil Ranelin: trombone, Jeamel Lee: Vocals, and others. (LP is out of print)
"The Time is Now", Phil Ranelin, Tribe Records, 1973.
Phil Ranelin: trombone, John Dana: bass, Reginald Fields: bass, George Davidson: drums, Bili Turner: drums, Marcus Belgrave: flugelhorn, Charles Moore: trumpet, Haroun El Nil: alto Saxophone. (LP is out of print, CD is available at Hefty Records).
"Sphere: Inside Ourselves", Sphere. Strata Records, 1973.
Larry Nozero: tenor saxophone, Keith Vreeland: piano, Eddie Nuccilli: flugelhorn, John Dana: bass, Jim Peluso:drums. (LP out of print}
Photos
Bio
Pianist and composer Keith Vreeland has been active in the Michigan jazz community for many years. During the 1970’s and 80’s, as a member of the Michigan Jazz Artists on Tour and the Paradise Orchestra. He has appeared with Rahsan Roland Kirk, Pharoah Sanders, Badal Roy and Joe Henderson. and at numerous Michigan jazz festivals, including the Flint Jazz Festival, the Frog Island Blues and Jazz Festival and the Detroit-Montreaux Jazz Festival.
In 2006 Keith released a piano trio album entitled Ask Me Now, a collection of some of the trio’s favorite jazz tunes, and In 2010 he released Bad Dog, a diverse collection of his original compositions, featuring nine of Detroit’s finest jazz musicians. Bad Dog is an evolving jazz group based on a core quartet of seasoned professional musicians consisting of Keith (pianist and composer), Vincent Bowens (saxophones and flute), John Dana (bass) and Renell Gonsalves (drums). The core group was formed to maintain an active presence in the Detroit region. Individually, they have played venues across the United states, Canada and Europe over the last 40 years, always returning to their home base: Detroit. They play an eclectic combination of bebop, blues, Latin and avante-garde, a history lesson in the evolution of modern jazz. These influences are evident in Keith’s original compositions.
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