blink. | |
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Origin | Chicago, Illinois |
Genres | Jazz fusion |
Years active | 2006–present [1] |
Labels | Thirsty Ear Recordings |
Members | Jeff Greene Quin Kirchner Dave Miller Greg Ward |
Website | www.thirstyear.com |
blink. is a jazz fusion band from Chicago, Illinois. It was formed in 2006 when most of the original songs were written by the band's four members. [1] Headed by bassist Jeff Greene, the band's prime motivation lies in the furtherance and expansion of fusion jazz. The full band consists of Jeff Greene: acoustic and electric basses, samples, harmonium; Quin Kirchner: drums, cymbals, percussion, glockenspiel; Dave Miller: electric guitar, sound effects; Greg Ward: alto sax. [2] [3] They have toured extensively across five continents, including North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. [2] The band's compositions, which included free jazz and sound effects, have been commissioned and performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble. [1]
blink. released their first studio album, entitled The Epidemic of Ideas, on August 26, 2008. [2] According to data gathered by Chart, the album was played frequently on jazz radio stations in the United States from September to November 2008. [4] [5] [6] [7] The album was the sixth most played jazz album on KSPC for the week of October 27, 2008, [8] and the eighth most played on CFRU-FM for the week of October 7, 2008. [9] The Epidemic Of Ideas received the tenth most airplay of any jazz album on CJSW for the week ending October 6, 2008. [10]
The album received positive reviews from music critics. Manny Theiner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gave the album a "Very good" 3.5/4 rating, and commented: "The Epidemic of Ideas is an appropriate title for Blink's debut CD, as the exploration of forms, textures and motifs is almost never-ending. Successful tracks range from jazz-funk-rock 'Secret Weapon Part I', where guitarist Dave Miller blisters the fretboard Marc Ribot-style, to the glitchy, laptoppy electronics permeating 'Sources', from the off-kilter, odd-timed Miller guitar runs and Quin Kircher's percussion clatter on 'Displacement', to the comparatively meditative, gamelan-like feel of 'Glass'." [11] AllMusic wrote in their review: "[The album] contains rather provocative investigations of vanguard jazz as it interacts with electronics, mutant funk, and even post-rock. Greene's compositions are rooted in space and edgy drama, and have wide-open spaces for various kinds of improvisations; rarely does one player occupy the solo space without another (or even two) engaging him directly." [2] The album also received positive reviews from All About Jazz [12] and The Phoenix's John Garelick, who gave the album a 3/4 rating and said, "Aside from the general aggressive, post-rock, post-jazz underground feel, there’s pretty tunes here, lots of slow, quiet parts, bebop flow, and even some walking bass. Another way to hear jazz." [3] DownBeat magazine gave the album a four-star review in its January 2009 issue.
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