Garth Alper, Professor of Music, Releases Fourth CD titled 'Stratus'

The initial release of Garth Alper’s fourth CD, Stratus, has taken place. Alper notes, "On Stratus, my fellow musicians bring seven of my compositions and two standards from concept to reality. Through their artistry and support, Michael Jenner on saxes, Bob Nash on bass, Chris Munson on drums, and Jeff George on guitar, made the creation of this CD a fulfilling and gratifying experience." Garth’s seven compositions on the CD include the Latin infused “Out of the Woods,” and the jazz shuffle “Quackery.” Commenting on the title track, “Stratus,” Alper states,

The musicians on this project brought the somewhat minimalist piano vamp and melody to life by giving the music space to breathe and playing so expressively. In the rehearsals, and recording sessions for the CD, a few words of explanation were all that was needed for the musicians to create their own artistic insights into my compositions. I’m especially grateful for their contributions on this particular track.

As to his original samba, “Garthbanzo Beans,” Alper explains,

I started composing this song thinking about the chord progression—the primary framework for the soloists—before working on the melody. I looked for chords that created interesting pathways for the soloists and gave them some raw material for telling a good story.

In additional to the other original compositions found on the CD, Garth uses a trio to cover the bebop gem, “Celia,” by Bud Powell, and a quartet to play the great standard, “It Could Happen to You.”

This summer, Garth will be requesting reviews for Stratus from Down Beat, Jazz Times, and several other important publications that comprise the jazz press.