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Gary Rouzer



Last Updated: 12/27/2009

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Status: Single
City: Alexandria
State: Virginia
Country: US
Signup Date: 10/31/2006

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Friday, September 18, 2009 

Category: Music
Nomina was reviewed on AllAboutJazz.com by Ian Patterson.
 
Improvised music tends to be divisive, alienating those who need the life belt of recognizable tunes and attracting those who see drama in the leap into the void. The challenge with improvised music is in creating the right doses of tension and release. There is certainly plenty of tension in this trio's language, and science- fiction horror permeates their music as much as the influence of the more experimental bands who spliced jazz, rock, world rhythms and electronics in the late '60s and first half of the '70s. The presence of King Crimson and '70s Miles Davis is here, at least in spirit, but that's only half of the story.

Scott Forey's trumpet and Gary Rouzer's bass cello are given all kinds of twists with the employment of loops and effects, creating other worldly and at times animal-like sounds. Percussion is ever present; Marshall Hughey's kit and found objects bubbling below the grooves or sounding bold and animated.

The opener, "Synocus"employs a lot of effects, and with its eerie vibe it could be the soundtrack for a science fiction film. Four minutes in, drums and plucked bass cello return the tune to the earth's orbit and distorted trumpet, sounding synthesized, carves out short and punchy phrases, climaxing in high-pitched exclamations reminiscent of electric period Miles.

Repeated refrains run through most of the tunes, acting as a pulse and starting point for the improvisations which ensue. On "Aphorva," distorted trumpet cuts a sinister sound through the background noise and rolling drums. "Echexia" follows a similar pattern, though less intense and with the drums more to the fore. It is the percussion more than anything, powerful, probing and tense, which evokes Crimson circa Jamie Muir and Bill Bruford.

There's an edgy power in these performances, the feeling that the pressure will blow the lid at any moment. The electronic wall of sound of "Asthemic State," hailing from Rouzer's cello, is pierced by a plaintive trumpet and chimes. The piece contains a certain foreboding, but a delightfully simple riff and sharp percussion earths the tune. This trio is not adverse to springing unsettling sounds, deriving drone and roaring feedback from the cello. At times, either cello or trumpet sounds like an electric guitar. Tabla and triangle provide a different point of departure on "Pyrexia," but the sound effects and synthesized trumpet conjure the same nervy edge as the other compositions.

Everything comes together on the final number, "Epistaxis," as talking drums and gently crashing cymbals lay the foundations for wildly distorted trumpet to soar above a droning bass cello. Trumpet and drums duel together, both becoming insistent, and the wall of sound builds in intensity as cymbals crash like angry waves. Then, in the blink of an eye, the tremendous sound has abated, a hum lingering a while, before disappearing.

Nomina is provocative and slightly unsettling; yet for all its density and out-there sound effects it's also an absorbing and fascinating musical experience.
Sunday, April 12, 2009 

Category: Music

Free Jazz blog posted the following review on 4/02/09.

"The chances that you ever heard a trumpet-bass-drums trio that sounded
like the Vector Trio, are close to nil, because they bring music into
new realms. The band consists of Scott Forrey on trumpet, electronics
and percussion, Gary Rouzer on bass, bass cello, loops and electronics,
and Marshall Hughey on drums and landscape percussion. Totally
improvised and highly rhythmic but with (un)clear structure, often
repetitive themes, electronic enhancement and distortion, this is music
that will please younger audiences too. It is a kind of
the-electric-Miles-goes-trip-hop-in-a-cloud-of-noise. It is dark,
violent at times, raw, yet strangely attractive too. The good thing
about it is that it has its own unmistakable approach. These guys
developed an interesting angle to music. They surely have a story to
tell. And it's not all violent and abrasive, even in the quieter parts
they manage to capture and maintain attention. And keep the same unity
of musical vision. Stubbornly. Uncompromisingly. That unity is helped
by the similarity of the some of the trumpet phrases in the various
pieces, which gives it a kind of suite-like feel and flow. And when the
electronics slow down for a minute, and acoustic voices can be heard,
it is also clear that these three musicians know how to play their
instruments, also without tricks and effects. Not bad, not bad at all."

http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2009/04/vector-trio-nomina-cdbaby-2008.html



Wednesday, February 11, 2009 

Nine Strings + Pilesar

A trio. Double bass (Dan) and NS bass cello (Gary) are amplified and fed into
effects and live loops (Jason). The three voices are then twisted via
post-production by Pilesar and spit out on a limited edition EP. I've
posted a song above. Released at Electric Possible in Washington DC on 02/11/09.

Photobucket



Wednesday, December 17, 2008 

Category: Music


New CD, "Nomina," available now! - December 17, 2008

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Our fourth Vector Trio CD is here! "Nomina" is 55 minutes of pure improvisation, heavy on atmosphere, electronics, and experimentation. Recorded on June 18, 2008 we just went into the studio and played without any preconceived notions or structures. Nomina is now available at CD Baby below.

VECTOR TRIO: Nomina
Monday, December 15, 2008 

Category: Music
Photobucket
The Live Score - Tremblay and Rouzer is the improv Jason and I played for the Dance Performance Group's piece at The Dinner Party on 11/11/08 in Washington DC. I played fretless electric bass/found objects and he played drum machine/electronics. I wish we had the video so you could see the dancing as well.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 
NYC Sep08

28 years ago in 1980, while taking modern dance and contact improvisation with Liz Lerman and Sally Nash at the Dance Exchange on Rhode Island Avenue in Washington DC. I had a dream to join a performance group where the musicians and dancers fulfilled both roles. Many years passed until April 2008 when my friend Jason invited me to play music at a rehearsal with The Dance Performance Group. Nancy Havlik, the chorographer, invited me to add movement as well as music to the company. Now Jason and I both contribute along a continuum of music/silence and movement/stillness. We have performed four times here in Washington DC and once in New York City. I find myself revisiting the music/dance relationship between John Cage, Earle Brown, Gordon Mumma, Merce Cunningham and others in the 1950s and 1960s.

Saturday, June 21, 2008 

Category: Music
I've been doing a bass duet project called Nine Strings with Daniel Barbiero on double bass and myself on five string NS bass cello for about four months now. We completed a studio recording in Jan 2008 and played our first gig on June 15th at Artomatic here in Washington DC. Now we have another gig next weekend. Who knows what will happen next? Look out for some live videos shortly.
Monday, May 19, 2008 

Category: Music
I played a solo set at Artomatic in Washington DC on May 17, 2008. I used my EDP looper along with a few pedals and lots of preparations. I've posted a few short videos from the show. I've thought about doing this for years but this was my first solo gig and it felt great. 
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 
I am currently involved in an improv project with Aleasthete. This track was taken from a session we did in preparation for our gig this Sunday, 01/27/08. See my gig postings for details.