Scott Reeves
You Are What You Think

With diverse musical credits that range from Clark Terry to Anthony Braxton to the Temptations, here is a trombonist for all seasons. For this groundbreaking new Brownstone release, Reeves showcases the alto flugelhorn, an E-flat intrument he describes as a cross between a flugelhorn, French horn and valve trombone. And he is possibly the only one using this rare instrument as a primary vehicle in jazz today.

"As far as I know, I am the only person playing the alto horn in jazz," Reeves explains. "I feel my own voice comes through on it even more than on the trombone."

Reeves features the alto flugelhorn on the meditative-inspired title track, You Are What You Think. It is a double-tracked feature: He first recorded himself playing the didgeridoo, an Aboriginal bamboo instrument; by utilizing circular breating and vocalization effects, Reeves fills the air with a distinctively Australian drone. He then added the melody on alto flugelhorn, which has a tonal range between the trombone and trumpet. 

As jazz critic Ken Franckling notes, "It may well be one of the most exotic and eclectic pieces to surface anywhere this year on a jazz release."

Reeves enlists an all-star cast to support the balance of this remarkable Brownstone debut. Pianist Kenny Werner, author of the highly regarded new book, Effortless Mastery, is a master at getting inside the music. He indeed, loses himself on this date to make new discoveries with Reeves' compositions. Veteran trumpeter Bill Mobley and the leader are fast friends in the music from many years ago when the two hornmen lived in Memphis. The studio band is completed by two of Boston's most versatile and busiest sidemen, bassist John Lockwood and drummer Bob Gullotti.

"They all walked into the studio, sat down and sight-read the most perfect versions of my tunes," Reeves enthused. "They knew the mechanics and the basics and the vocabulary. They were all able to go beyond that and make something deeper and more spontaneous... There was a magic!"