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[a] musician in fast ascent, here making his boldest statement yet [...] richly textured [...] structurally ingenious [...] potent sense of drama
The result is totally mesmerizing, creating as strong a feeling of time-suspension as a late Feldman work.ghostly [...] impressionistic soundscapes [...] while Golub's compositions and modern jazz improvisations can be challenging, this emotional current grounds the record and makes it accessibleAbiding Memory showcases the seemingly boundless creativity of keyboardist Golub and his band [...] skillfully shaped by Golub and company, Abiding Memory possesses a grounding, mesmeric magic.
a triumphant solo debut [...] an uncommon warmth★★★★½ ∙ [Abiding Memory] is clearly a milestone in contemporary jazz.8/10 – Tropos possess a seemingly boundless energy supply, but it’s delivered smartly and with brilliant flair for instrumental fluidity and a sense of adventure. Switches is them at their very best."Abiding Memory" has a complex and sophisticated writing style conveyed with great lightness [...] Listening to the ten tracks fully confirms the excellence of the result, as "Abiding Memory" is a debut as a leader with great impact [...] breathtakingThe nuanced variation, with Golub dropping 1/22 of an [octave] with each cycle, makes it so mesmerizing I only hear new sonic portals opening up.Top Jazz Releases, March 2025
Pianist Phillip Golub and drummer Lesley Mok, brilliant improvisers in their early 30s, join forces as a duo on dream brigade. [...] In their effortless balance and the acuity of their ideas, Mok and Golub prove to be an inspired pairing.
A visionary who has fully embraced the present day.Critics Picks #1 album of 2024
Golub [...] announced his own expansive musical vision, leading a quintet of piano, cello, electric guitar, bass and drums. These 10 tracks play out like one long song, yet each forms a satisfying suite. exhilarating and welcomeOur present jazz moment contains such a wealth of adventurous experimentation and fearless conceptual expansion as to rival any previous era of the art form. Yet even today, albums that occupy a unique sonic environment are rare. One is Abiding Memory, Phillip Golub’s recording debut as a leader.That feeling — of a writhing text, something almost escaping its own language — became inspiration for Tropos, a quintet of young improvisers and composers who first met as students at New England Conservatory. Abiding Memory [...] leaves a lasting impression. [...] Abiding Memory is an elaborate mix: lush, detailed, rich in references, high-concept, and presented with emotional seriousness.More impressive than such details is the overall rapport and interaction between Golub and Mok, which goes far beyond sound and rhythm into bracing compositional studies.Terri Lyne Carrington in "blindfold test"
That was very nice [...] I’ve been really impressed with everything I’ve heard Philip do. I think he’s a voice to be reckoned with.Loop 7 is yet another in a series of ambitious experimental projects from Phillip Golub and another stunning home run for Joseph Branciforte’s Greyfade label. Both artists – as well as the musicians who join them here — are devoted to creating music that is complex, engaging, and unique.★★★★. This is a work that, like the works of the first minimalists, demands a spirit of immersion from the listener, and as with those works, such immersion will be rewarded.Switches is an experiential record that embodies Tropos’ duality of fastidious work and cheerful camaraderie, which makes the music a remarkably balanced, enjoyable listen.Tropos are a new group of young improvising musicians out of the New England Conservatory. This is their debut, and they’re making a powerful statementA cutting edge album that illustrates how the performer can exert the critical creative input from within the confines of a strictly minimalist framework. Phillip Golub has restored creative primacy to the individual musician, even within the heart of a highly process-oriented music.a stunning album that is worth repeated listening so that you can discover more and more layers to this incredibly layered and thoughtful music. Put it on, tune out the rest of the world and listen with an open heart and an open mind and you will create your own abiding memories of hearing Golub’s music.Jazz Night in America – Best of the Month (June 2024) for Abiding Memoryremarkable album ... It is a thrill ride, listeners