Still Doing Our Thing Behn Gillece

• 1 Extraction 05:30
• 2 Rattles 05:00
• 3 Still Doing Our Thing 04:53
• 4 Blue Sojourn 05:20
• 5 Glad To Be Back 04:58
• 6 Outnumbered 05:40
• 7 Event Horizon 06:45
• 8 Back To Abnormal 05:21
• 9 Going On Well 05:14
• 10 Don't Despair 07:48
• Total Runtime 56:29

Info for Still Doing Our Thing

While to many eyes and ears the pandemic-era jazz scene appears to be darkened or shut down, Posi-Tone is here to assure listeners that we are "Still Doing Our Thing." Breaking the sound barrier with an inspired sense of purpose, rising star vibraphonist Behn Gillece leads his worthy constituents on an exciting quartet date of brilliant performances. The band features veterans pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Rudy Royston. From the opening salvo to the last hurrah, the musical program remains melodically straight forward, elegantly lyrical and clearly suggestive of a modern jazz sensibility with hard-swinging highlights. Featuring an amazing combination of talents and an evocative collection of original compositions, "Still Doing Our Thing" is engagingly entertaining throughout and certain to deliver bright moments of intense delight to jazz fans everywhere.

“Still Doing Our Thing” is the album’s hardest swinging track and centerpiece. Gillece’s vibes lead, playing with a rhythmbehn-gillece and getting it just right to make the music feel magical. His bandmates’ contributions are clearly heard as he builds upon various patterns, creating an impressive solo of elegance. This solo demonstrates a dialogue between Gillece and Royston that complements each other, and Hirahara and Kozlov provide the harmonic underpinning.

Still Doing Our Thing is another project by Gillece where everything flows well; altogether, a most impressive group and set of compositions. With its title and swinging structure, the quartet doesn’t mind being themselves and focusing on swinging. Still Doing Our Thing features some dramatic soloing and focused listening, crafting a captivating album." (Darnell Jackson, 5fingerreview.com)

Behn Gillece, vibraphone
Art Hirahara, piano, Rhodes 1, 6 & 10
Boris Kozlov, bass, electric bass 6 & 10
Rudy Royston, drums and percussion
Nicole Glover, tenor saxophone 7

Behn Gillece
With over a decade on the New York jazz scene, vibraphonist Behn Gillece has built a reputation as a virtuosic instrumentalist and prolific composer. With inspiration from such legends as Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson, Gillece, throughout his career, has committed himself to advancing the art form of the vibraphone while flourishing as a jazz composer. A New Jersey native, Gillece had many early performance opportunities in his home state, as well as Philadelphia, before moving to New York City in 2006. Since then, he has made quite a name for himself as a sought after sideman, as well as a bandleader and recording artist.

His latest release, Still Doing Our Thing (2021 Posi-Tone), was recorded in the most difficult year the music industry has faced in a generation. Yet, despite difficult circumstances, Gillece’s stellar quartet safely came together and did what they do best, which is make astounding music. The group includes pianist Art Hirahara, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Rudy Royston, with a guest appearance by saxophonist Nicole Glover.

From 2009 to 2013, Gillece co-led four transformative recordings on Posi-Tone with tenor saxophonist Ken Fowser, all receiving international acclaim and extensive radio play. Gillece’s first four debut albums as leader, Mindset (2015 Posi-Tone), Dare To Be (2016 Posi-Tone), Walk Of Fire (2017 Posi-Tone), and Parallel Universe (2018 Posi-Tone) helped the ascension of his public appreciation and made immediate splashes in the press and radio, picking up a 2018 Downbeat Rising Star award. The vibraphonist has also appeared as a sideman on many recordings, most recently contributing his playing to albums by Michael Dease, New Faces, Walt Weiskopf, Melody Gardot, Idle Hands, Out To Dinner, and Ensemble Novo.

Gillece has performed his music throughout the world at venues which include the Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, Smalls Jazz Club, Mezzrow, Jazz Standard, Side Door, Smoke Jazz Club, Fat Cat, Yoshi's, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, and many others. Gillece has also appeared at music festivals worldwide, including the North Sea, Montreux, Nice, Molde, Ghent, Montreal, and Toronto festivals.

In addition to his robust performance life, Gillece also has a burgeoning career as a music educator. Gillece is a member of the faculty at Rowan University and New Jersey City University, where he teaches vibraphone, jazz ensemble, music theory, and online courses. In addition to the various workshops he has been asked to give at colleges and universities across the world, he has prepared over 700 lessons for online instruction on vibesworkshop.com, which benefits percussion students internationally.

Gillece holds a master’s degree from SUNY Purchase, and is endorsed by Malletech instruments. His awards include the aforementioned 2018 Downbeat Rising Star Vibraphonist, the 2009 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead residency, winning the Generations competition in 2009, and winning the 2008 Jazz Improvisation competition at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

This album contains no booklet.