DESCRIPTION:
Saxophonist and composer Dan Meinhardt debuts on ears&eyes Records leading his quartet of Chicago-based musicians on their eponymous release: Outset. Defined as “the beginning or start,” it is a fitting title for this collection of original music, a boldly honest introduction to this group. Thanks in part to a grant from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Individual Artist Program, Meinhardt has gathered some of Chicago’s finest artists to bring this music to life. On this release, he is joined by Justin Copeland on trumpet, Tim Ipsen on bass, and Andrew Green on drums. ears&eyes Records, based in Chicago, has emerged as a label that champions exciting new voices in the modern jazz scene; Outset’s album is no exception.

The band that has become known as Outset has been a working band almost as long as he’s been in Chicago, though Meinhardt’s relationships with the individual musicians vary in length from 4 to 22 years (Ipsen and Meinhardt met in kindergarten). Meinhardt’s decision to put a band together was the result of wanting to establish roots in Chicago. “I wanted Chicago to be my new home when I got here after grad school,” says Meinhardt, “but I didn’t feel I could call it home until I had my own band. Luckily, I had a number of friends around the city that wanted to help make that happen.” The recording of the album at Chicago’s Locallective was the culmination of two years of road-testing and refining material.

Meinhardt has a patience to his playing and writing, a clear sound without much vibrato, that bears resemblance to Joe Henderson - light, but pointed when it needs to be. “I usually gravitate towards less forceful music,” Meinhardt says. “Players like Joe remind me that you can have a soft voice and still say a lot,” a fact not lost on Meinhardt’s compositions. His understated, less-is-more mentality is brought into focus throughout the compositions on Outset. The collective solo by Meinhardt and Copeland on “Dropped” shows that Meinhardt can still lean into a more aggressive sound found in many current saxophonists, while his subtle solo introduction to “New Rain” demonstrates the great restraint and dynamic control on the instrument.

Dan Meinhardt - tenor saxophone, compositions (Michael Nearpass, Carl Kennedy, Josh Torrey)
Justin Copeland - trumpet, flugelhorn (Victor Goines, Gustavo Cortiñas, Clif Wallace, Fatbook)
Tim Ipsen - bass (Cooke Book, Justefan, Tom Matta Big Band)
Andrew Green - drums (TWIN TALK, Paul Dietrich, Jonas Friddle)

Links:
Website: https://www.danmeinhardt.com
BandCamp: https://www.danmeinhardt.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmeinhardtoutset
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniel_jame87
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/daniel_james87
SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/danmeinhardt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/saxmaj7

ears&eyes Records: https://www.earsandeyesrecords.com, https://www.earsandeyesrecords.bandcamp.com, https://www.twitter.com/earseyesRecords, https://www.soundcloud.com/earseyesrecords, https://www.facebook.com/earsandeyesrecords, https://www.instagram.com/earsandeyesrecords