Sphere (American band)

Last updated
Sphere
Origin1977
GenresJazz
Years active1977–1988; 1997–2002
Labels Elektra Musician, Verve, Red
Past members

Sphere was an American jazz band which began as a tribute to pianist Thelonious Monk, whose middle name was "Sphere". [1]

The band, which was formed in 1977, consisted of pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and two members who had been Monk's bandmates, drummer Ben Riley and saxophonist Charlie Rouse. [2] After Rouse died in 1988, Sphere disbanded but reunited ten years later with Gary Bartz taking Rouse's place. [3]

Sphere recorded its first album, consisting of Monk tunes, on the day that Monk died, February 17, 1982. [3] The band recorded several more albums which included jazz standards and original compositions. [3]

According to Riley, an interesting group dynamic resulted from the fact that the band included two musicians who had played with Monk and two musicians who hadn't. He reflected: "It was good for the other guys... to hear the music in a way Monk would have written it and orchestrated it. It made them think of the music in a different way. It was also good for us to hear their interpretations of Monk's music. The music was always fresh." [4]

Discography

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<i>Four in One</i> (Sphere album) 1982 studio album by Sphere

Four in One is the debut album by the group Sphere featuring pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and Monk's former drummer Ben Riley, and his former saxophonist Charlie Rouse. The album was released by the Elektra/Musician label. Four in One was coincidentally recorded on the day of Monk's death in 1982, though the musicians were unaware of Monk's death during the recording session and had not planned the album as a memorial tribute.

<i>Flight Path</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Sphere

Flight Path is the second album by the group the Sphere featuring saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Ben Riley that was recorded in 1983 and released on the Elektra/Musician label.

<i>Sphere On Tour</i> 1988 live album by Sphere

Sphere On Tour is a live album by the group Sphere featuring saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Ben Riley, recorded in Italy in 1985 and released on the Italian Red label.

<i>Pumpkins Delight</i> 1993 live album by Sphere

Pumpkin's Delight is a live album by the group Sphere featuring saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Ben Riley, recorded at the Teatro Morlacchi in Perugia, Italy, as part of the 1986 Umbria Jazz Festival and released on the Italian Red label. The 1993 CD edition features four tracks first released on LP in 1987 as Live at Umbria Jazz.

<i>Four for All</i> 1987 studio album by Sphere

Four for All is an album by the group Sphere featuring saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Ben Riley which was recorded in 1983 and released on the Verve label.

<i>Bird Songs</i> (Sphere album) 1988 studio album by Sphere

Bird Songs is an album by the group Sphere featuring saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Ben Riley that was recorded in 1988 and released on the Verve label. The album features compositions written by or associated with Charlie Parker and was Charlie Rouse's last recording with the group prior to his death.

<i>Moments Notice</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Charlie Rouse

Moment's Notice is an album by jazz saxophonist Charlie Rouse. It was recorded on October 20, 1977, and was released on LP in 1978 by both Storyville Records and the Danish label Jazzcraft. On the album, Rouse is joined by pianist Hugh Lawson, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Ben Riley. In 1997, the album was reissued on CD with four alternate takes.

<i>Sphere</i> (Sphere album) 1998 studio album by Sphere

Sphere is an album by the American jazz group Sphere. It was recorded on October 4, 1997, in New York City and New Jersey, and was released in 1998 by Verve. The album features saxophonist Gary Bartz, replacing original band member Charlie Rouse, who died in 1988, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Ben Riley. Sphere was the group's first album since 1988's Bird Songs.

References

  1. Tesser, Neil (November 6, 2003). "Sphere". Chicago Reader. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  2. Cordle, Owen (January 1, 1999). "Sphere: Sphere". Jazz Times. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Yanow, Scott. "Sphere". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  4. Blangger, Tim (August 30, 1998). "Ex-Monk Drummer Ben Riley Helps Infuse Sphere". The Morning Call. Retrieved September 29, 2022.