''Unknown Skies'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Rob Brown which was recorded live at 2010 Sons d'Hiver Festival in the suburbs of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, and released on the French

RogueArt RogueArt (also written Rogueart and Rogue Art) is a French independent record label based in Paris. It was founded by record producer Michel Dorbon in 2005 and specialises in jazz and improvised music. History RogueArt was founded by record p ...

label. He leads a trio with pianist

Craig Taborn Craig Marvin Taborn (; born February 20, 1970) is an American pianist, organist, keyboardist and composer. He works solo and in bands, mostly playing various forms of jazz. He started playing piano and Moog synthesizer as an adolescent and was ...

and drummer

Nasheet Waits Nasheet Waits is an American jazz drummer. Son of percussionist Freddie Waits, Nasheet Waits is a New York native who has been active on the jazz scene since early in his life. Before pursuing a music career, he studied psychology and history a ...

. The group performed before at the 2009

Vision Festival The Vision Festival is the world's premier festival of experimental music (typically free jazz/avant-garde jazz), art, film and dance, held annually in May/June on the Lower East Side of New York City from 1996 to 2011, in Brooklyn from 2012-2014, ...

. Brown thought the idea of such a trio, similar to the one which he formed on arriving New York in the mid-eighties with

Matthew Shipp Matthew Shipp (born December 7, 1960) is an American pianist, composer, and bandleader. Early life and education Shipp was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and began playing piano at six years old. His mother was a friend of trumpeter Clifford B ...

and Frank Bambara and took the name of Right Hemisphere, later a quartet for the eponymous album.Original liner Notes by Alexander Pierrepont

Reception

The ''

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' review by Alain Drouot notes that "Without a bass, the three musicians operate on a more leveled field, rely less on melodies, and have plenty of room to stretch and develop notions to the fullest."Drouot, Alain. ''Unexplained Phenomena'' review. ''Down Beat'' September 11: page 55. Print. The

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

review by John Sharpe states "Brown revels in the license to roam, engendered by Taborn and Waits' intersecting lines. One of that select band of instrumentalists, whose soloing isn't dependent on repeated motifs as much as a constantly unfurling narrative, the reedman thrills with his sustained brilliance."Sharpe, John
''Unknown Skies'' review
at

In his review for ''

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade of growth ...

'' Lyn Horton says "This music is totally Rob Brown inspired, but also offers uniqueness in its contrasts."Horton, Lyn
''Unknown Skies'' review
at ''

Track listing

:''All compositions by Rob Brown except as indicated'' # "A Fine Line" – 15:55 # "Unknown Skies" – 16:31 # "Bounce Back" – 13:25 # "The Upshot" – 11:21 # "Temerity" (Brown, Taborn, Waits) – 4:45

Personnel

* Rob Brown –

alto sax The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

References

{{authority control 2011 live albums Rob Brown (saxophonist) live albums RogueArt live albums