Spirit Session (2004)
STREAMING HERE:
1. Mellow Beginnings (for Mr. Weber)
2. Funk Pants
3. Golliwog
4. Break Fast
5. Counterpoint
6. Amble
7. Just Before
8. Positively Mid-evil Suite: A) Goin' Mid-evil; B)middle-evil; C)
Rob Kohler, Bass
Morgan Scott, Keyboards and Guitars
Jason Palmer, Drums
Review from CADENCE Magazine; March issue, 2006.
“The trio recording of keyboard player/guitarist MORGAN SCOTT, bassist ROB KOHLER, and drummer JASON PALMER is aptly titled. SPIRIT SESSION opens with mysticism; Scott’s airy keyboard signals set up a séance of emphatic calls to subterranean regions, but once the band makes contact, its music takes on chameleonic characteristics with funky beats, bluesy riffs, or aggressively built rhythms. The spirit world, however, becomes the safe haven for the band as they revert regularly to eerie backdrops for Scott’s scurrying keyboard runs. Both Kohler and Palmer develop a head of steam in close-knit support of Scott’s aggressive flights over the keys. Palmer spawns intricate drum sequences and Kohler matches the action with rapid-fire fingering. Scott continually changes the ambiance from mellow to lively and back again; he turns to the guitar on two cuts for further alteration of the textures and colors. The mood swings are refreshing, keeping the session fresh and unpredictable.”
Biographies
Spirit Session
Spirit Session was first started in 1986 between Rob Kohler and Morgan Scott who played in a local jazz fusion/pop group “Decoy” in Bozeman, MT. They performed on various live radio broadcasts on KGLT, a college station at MSU. There were additional KGLT broadcasts with drummer Ben Simpson in between 1994-96. This recording was done on 11/13/04 in Eugene, OR. The group has always been free improvisation, taking the raw improvisational energy of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, coupled with the subtleties of the interaction of the Bill Evans Trio with Scott LaFaro. Our goal is to play music that sounds written or worked out but has the innocent sensation of being heard for the first time, and to have the audience participate in the journey of the discovery.
Rob Kohler
Rob is a Montana native who has performed jazz, classical, and pop music all over the world. His playing, compositions and skills as a producer have been documented on many recordings with groups such as the Jared Burrows Trio, Olem Alves Band, Three Form, This World, and the Platt/Kohler Trio. He has also toured and performed with such artists as Danny Gottlieb, Nancy King, Brian Bromberg, Madelaine Eastman, John Stowell, and Art Lande, and is a regular performer at the Bozeman Bass Bash. Rob is on faculty at the Stanford University Jazz Workshop and has just released a solo CD titled, A Thousand Faces. He resides in Eugene, Oregon where he performs regularly with many of Oregon’s finest jazz musicians and teaches music at Oak Hill School.
Jason A. Palmer
Jason Palmer is based in Eugene, Oregon and performs and teaches throughout the Northwest. He attended the University of Oregon and graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies and Percussion Performance. Since 1995, Jason has performed with such artists as Mason Williams, Ruth Brown, Dick Hyman, John Stowell and John Zorn. On top of this busy schedule of free-lance performing, Jason also teaches throughout the region at the Oregon Festival of American Music and the UO Summer Music Institute. Currently, Jason is continuing his education by pursuing a Master of Music. Degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Oregon. Recently, he has performed at the Rochester NY jazz festival, the Calgary Ontario jazz festival, the Waterfront Blues festival in Portland Oregon, and the High Seirra Music Festival.
Morgan Scott
Morgan Scott received his formal music training at Berklee College of Music, graduating in Magna cum Laude with a B.M. in Music Production and Engineering in 1993, returning in 1996 to study composition. Morgan currently teaches piano and guitar in private lessons. He has performed with many localbands and has played on local musicians’ recording projects. He primarily plays jazz, but enjoys playing many music styles.
