Horizons Quartet

PMR-051 "Horizons Quartet"
© 2021 PM Records

Dan Wilkins - Tenor & Soprano Saxophones
James Collins - Grand Piano & Fender-Rhodes Piano
Gene Perla - Double-bass
Byron Landham - Drums

1. Spiraling 10:08
2. The Blades Proposition 6:41
3. Marionettes 7:42
4. Benediction Of The Moon 7:18
5. Billows 7:14
6. Get The Point 5:00
7. Gaia's Blessing 6:24
8. Kindling Of The Phoenix 6:01

Recorded on Jan 3rd and 4th 2020, in Philadelphia, PA
Compositions by Dan Wilkins
Arrangements by Dan Wilkins and James Collins

Produced and mixed by Jeff Hiatt
Recorded by Jeff Hiatt and Doug Raus
Mastered by Sean Svadlenak
Recorded and mixed at Turtle Studios

Album Art by Kathy Ridl
Photography by Jonathan Broady

HorizonsQuartet.com

Copyright 2021 PM Records

Purchasing Information


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Spiraling
$1.39
The Blades Proposition
$1.32
Marionettes
$1.34
Benediction Of The Moon
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Billows
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Get The Point
$1.29
Gaia's Blessing
$1.32
Kindling Of The Phoenix
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YOUTUBE LIVE SHOW VIDEO
"The Blades Proposition"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVTtvRCw1d0


REVIEWS
"The only truth is music." Jack Kerouac

       The above quote has never carried as much weight as it does in the Spring of 2021. Out of the turbulence of the last year the Horizons Quartet delivers 8 original compositions that reaffirm our trust in the power of music and the spirit that creates it.
       I first heard the Horizons Quartet live March 1st, 2020. I had seen Gene Perla play in many configurations over the years, including gigs with Don Alias, Elvin Jones, and Vic Juris so I expected the musicianship to be of the highest quality and I was not disappointed.
       The band played a few covers then introduced a Dan Wilkins composition. Everyone seemed to sit up a little straighter, exchanging glances that said, "Are you hearing this?" This was something special. And they kept them coming for the rest of the gig.
       Dan Wilkins was literally born into music. His father, pianist Skip Wilkins, raised him in a jazz household on a diet of Sarah Vaughn, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, and Dexter Gordon to name a few. Dan went on to study music theory and composition at the Manhattan School of Music where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music in 2013.
       Dan’s co-arranger in Horizons Quartet is pianist James Collins. James hails from Philadelphia where he earned bachelor and master’s degrees from Temple University. James immersed himself in Philly’s rich jazz scene where he met Dan in 2015. They hit it off and started gigging together. In 2018 they decided to join forces in Horizons Quartet.
       Dan first heard of Gene Perla on the Elvin Jones iconic 1972 LP "Live at the Lighthouse" featuring Dave Liebman and Steven Grossman on saxophones. Gene brings his signature deep groove to the Quartet, refined over the years playing with jazz greats like Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughn, Sonny Rollins, and many others. Byron Landham is a mainstay in the Philly jazz world. His drumming has taken him on globe-trotting tours and long tenures with Joey DeFrancesco, Betty Carter, and David Sanborn.
       Gene describes Dan as an "old soul" like someone who's been here before. I felt the same way. I had the feeling I was listening to a lost Blue Note record from the classic late 60's period. There was also a very cinematic quality to the songs and the bands performance of them that invites you to create your own images to their soundtrack.
       I found out later that Dan started oil painting while composing these songs. He explains it best: "Many of the compositions grew from distinct images. "Billows" came from the vision of unfurling clouds of smoke. "Marionettes” depicts an eerie staging of a puppeteer’s dance. "Spiraling" portrays a fevered milieu of madness. "The Blades Proposition" conjures an image of a swift dance of blades. "Gaia's Blessing" and "Benediction of the Moon" are odes to the spiritual significance of the Earth and Moon in landscape form."
       There's a lot of infectious joy in the conversations between the players here and you can tell they're happy to invite you in to share their view of the landscape. 8 songs for the 8 points of a compass. Choose any point and follow it to the Horizon.
By James Gilheany


                   


The debut album of a very unusual jazz quartet. No, in terms of instrumentation, everything is quite familiar here, I mean the members of this ensemble. Horizons Quartet was founded by two young (Dan Wilkins is not yet thirty) musicians. Pennsylvania saxophonist Wilkins studied at the Manhattan School of Music, played, and toured a lot with his father, pianist Skip Wilkins, and even recorded several albums with him in Prague, where Skip lives permanently. Master classes by Dave Liebman and Mark Copeland developed Dan's taste for composing, and on this album, all eight pieces came from his pen. James Collins plays both an acoustic instrument and a Fender Rhodes in the Horizons Quartet. But they found the bassist and drummer to be absolutely exceptional. Philadelphia drummer Byron Landham is well known in the jazz world for his collaborations with Betty Carter and Joey DeFrancesco. He has long been James Collins' favorite drummer. Well, bassist Gene Perla, who is now 81, is a legend. How else to call the person who played with Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Dave Liebman and other stars. In addition to his own creative activity, Perla is also the owner of PM Records, which will release the album Horizons Quartet in June.


You can see the manifestations of a fusion of youth and experience from the very first track. In “Spiraling” whether, Wilkins' saxophone and Landham's drums are made. And, for example, in the wonderful ballad “Billows,” my personal favorite of the album, Gene Perla performs the solo in such a way that you just don't believe that he has reached such a venerable age. The author of the music himself (very worthy, I must say) plays both the tenor and the soprano saxophone. I would call the “Marionettes” and “The Blade's Proposition” exemplary in his performance on both instruments, respectively. But, perhaps, as a tenorist, he seemed more interesting to me. Collins plays Fender Rhodes on two tracks, with a preference for piano on the others. In principle, the quartet does not go beyond the mainstream, it is solid, truly American straight-head jazz, which should delight lovers of this style - and surprise with such an extraordinary composition.

By Leonid Auskern

                

Legendary jazz bassist Gene Perla has teamed up with a pair of rising jazz talents and a stalwart drummer to form the Horizons Quartet. Co-founded by saxophonist Dan Wilkins and pianist James Collins, and anchored by Perla and celebrated drummer Byron Landham, this new musical iteration will release their self-titled debut on June 25, 2021 on Perla's own PM Records. There is a pre-release show planned at Chris' Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia on June 10th with an official release show at the iconic Deer Head Inn, located in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania to take place on June 27th.   

This self-titled debut features an all-original program composed and conceived by Wilkins, who is a highly sought-after and acclaimed player based in Eastern Pennsylvania. Over the past several years, Wilkins has toured Europe extensively with his father Skip Wilkins, and has appeared on three recordings with him including Father and Son (2012), Someday (2019) and Czech Wishes (2019). Now, with his peer, pianist James Collins, he steps into the driver's seat with Horizons Quartet, and shines brightly alongside the two veteran rhythmic pillars, Perla and Landham. Landham has played with a "who's who" of jazz greats including Betty Carter, Houston Person, Joey DeFrancesco, and many others.

Gene Perla is a bonafide bass legend with a mile-long resumé that includes stints with Sarah Vaughan, Jimmy Cobb and Miles Davis. Perla famously played alongside Dave Liebman on Elvin Jones’ immortal Live at the Lighthouse (1973). On that gig, Liebman shared that he was looking for the right label to release his then-new live album, Open Sky (1973). Perla took the question to heart and in response he started his own record label, PM Records with Open Sky as its inaugural release. Decades later, PM Records remains an active and vital entity, with Horizons Quartet its latest offering. Perla and Wilkins have a long-standing relationship originally stemming from their geographic location - both are known to play the Deer Head Inn- and they have collaborated in various settings over the years.

"From the first days of meeting and playing with Dan I felt an old soul present. It's so great to find a youngster who thinks before playing. Miles was a master at dealing with space. I was told that he once said to a stymied musician, "When you think of something to play, don't play it." And Byron is a blast to hit with. From beat one, the pocket was there," said Perla of the newly formed group. "This is a fun quartet to make music with."

                  


As soon as we mention the Deer Head Inn, the jazz readers of these pages will realize that the Horizons Quartet are local to this writer.  Yet, keep in mind that the venue is home to many reputable musicians and a gig location for many prominent NYC-based musicians.  After all, NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman calls it home. The owner of this record label (begun in 1973 for Dave Liebman’s Open Sky) and the bassist for the quartet, octogenarian Gene Perla, has played alongside Sarah Vaughan, Jimmy Cobb and Miles Davis, and with Liebman on Elvin Jones’ classic Live at the Lighthouse. The drummer, Byron Landham, has played with Betty Carter, Houston Person, and fellow Philly native Joey DeFrancesco. Yet this is the first recording together for the rhythm tandem.  That brings us to the two younger co-founders, saxophonist Dan Wilkins and pianist James Collins. Wilkins, though not yet 30, composed all eight selections on this self-titled debut, and his father, the pianist Skip Wilkins, a favorite son of the Deer Head Inn, is also a longtime professor of music at nearby Lafayette College. Collins has long been inspired by Landham, even before studying at Temple University where the drummer is on faculty.  He and Wilkins have been gigging in and around Philadelphia since 2015.

This is a straight-ahead session, steeped in beautiful, lyrical tonality. “Spiraling” begins with Wilkins’ full-bodied soprano set against Landham’s crashing cymbals, Perla’s steady propulsion, and Collins’ piano evoking Trane’s take on “Afro Blue.” It evolves as a showcase for Wilkins’ many runs and solos from each member. His soprano continues to soar expressively on “The Blade’s Proposition,” a moodier, more atmospheric piece that also builds to some intense moments, with Collins on Fender Rhodes setting him off against a subtle electric sound palette. “Marionettes” steps down further into a noirish feel of a late-night club with Collins’ playing sensitively and beautifully underneath Wilkins’ who reaches every note and more on the tenor this time.

Wilkins returns to soprano on “Benediction of the Moon,” an expansive piece bearing one of the album’s more indelible themes and more Liebman-inspired soprano excursions. “Billows” is an even more haunting ballad than “Marionettes,” also delivered via Wilkins’ rich, purely toned soprano that leaves some notes seemingly suspended in air minutes on end. Perla adds his lyrical plucking while Collins and Landham play with remarkable restraint, the former offering some glistening passages midway through. The calm sets the stage for the bop fueled “Get to the Point,” where Wilkins goes from his normal smooth into aggressive mode on the soprano following a vibrant piano intro from Collins. “Gaia’s Blessing” is highly melodic, rendered with tenor over Rhodes while the closer, “Kindling of the Phoenix” has Collins in some of his most shimmering moments, accompanying Wilkins’ tenor on the acoustic piano.  A piece like this will remind of those great albums from the late ‘50’s when Red Garland accompanied John Coltrane.  Yet, other pieces like “Billows,” “Benediction of the Moon” and “The Blade’s Proposition” carry a more contemporary feel. That’s appropriate given the two generations of musicians in the quartet.  They find a fine balance and deliver highly expressive statements on this auspicious debut.
By Jim Hynes


HORIZONS QUARTET
– PM Records

Dan Wilkins, tenor & soprano saxophones/composer; James Collins, piano/Fender Rhodes; Gene Perla, bass; Byron Landham, drums.

All compositions featured by Horizons Quartet were written by thirty-year-old Dan Wilkins.  He opens this energetic album with a tune called “Spiraling,” presenting us with a melody that circles from his tenor saxophone and inspires the others to join in.  The group is off and running.  When extraordinary pianist, James Collins along with Wilkins, decided to put a band together, they wanted their rhythm section to include the caliber of musicians that had inspired them to play jazz.  Collins had been inspired by celebrated Philly-based drummer Byron Landham, who has toured with Betty Carter and Houston Person, as well as working with organ icon, Joey DeFrancesco.  You can hear his power and precision during a solo on this first composition.  They also included bassist Gene Perla, who is a master musician and has played with Sarah Vaughan, Jimmy Cobb and Miles Davis.  At eighty-one, he still burns on the bass.

One thing I noted, this quartet loves to build the tension and grow the music.  These arrangements are rich with energy and this multi-generational quartet offers us over an hour of exquisite jazz, mostly straight-ahead, well-composed and well-interpreted original music.  Arrangers Wilkins and Collins, allow each talent to express themselves vividly for our listening pleasure.  The quartet, as a whole, moves like a well-oiled engine, generating power, improvisation and precision that infuses each composition.  Every tune is enjoyable, but some of my favorites are “Benediction of the Moon” and “Get the Point” that begins with a drum solo where Byron Landham sets the tempo and the groove.  James Collins takes off like a rocket on piano and Perla pushes him ahead, fueling his flight with bass tenacity.  Dan Wilkins arrives, shooting flames out of his saxophone.  Finally, Landham is left alone in the spotlight to solo and introduce us to his powerful and relentless drum techniques.  Yes!  I “Get the Point.”  “Gaia’s Blessing” brings us ballad relief, with Collins turning to the sparkling tones of a Fender Rhodes to interpret this pretty tune.  Who doesn’t love a good jazz waltz?  They close with “Kindling of the Phoenix” and I’m left with a feeling of complete satisfaction.
By Dee Dee McNeil


Tracks
1. Spiraling 2. The Blades Proposition 3. Marionettes 4. Benediction Of The Moon 5. Billows 6. Get The Point 7. Gaia's Blessing 8. Kindling Of The Phoenix

Musicians
Dan Wilkins - tenor sax, soprano sax
James Collins - piano, Fender-Rhodes (2,7)
Gene Perla - double bass
Byron Landham - drums

Record Label: PM Records
Recorded January 3-4, 2020, at Turtle Studios, Philadelphia, PA
Publication Date: June 25, 2021

It was at the iconic Deer Head Inn club in Pocono Mountains, Delaware that young Dan Wilkins made the decision to become a jazz instrumentalist and composer, attending a 2007 performance and masterclass by Dave Liebman and Marc Copland.

In recent years, Wilkins has toured extensively in Europe with his father Skip Wilkins, (the latter plays in Europe so regularly that he maintains a residence in Prague) and has appeared on three recordings with him, including "Father and Son" (2012), “Someday” (2019) and “Czech Wishes” (2019).

Collins and Wilkins met in Philadelphia in 2014, following their respective undergraduate jazz studies at Temple University and the Manhattan School of Music. Since 2015 they have been playing together. In 2019 Collins and Wilkins came up with the idea to form a band that would feature WIlkins original music. For this they had the collaboration of the octogenarian and legendary bassist Gene Perla (Sarah Vaughan, Jimmy Cobb and Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Elvin Jones) and the great Byron Landham (Betty Carter, Huston Person, Joey DeFrancesco) on drums. The name chosen was "Horizons Quartet".

Wilkins' music, inspired by his other passion, oil painting, seeks to capture different images, presenting harmonic landscapes traveling on meditative rhythms. The name "Horizons Quartet" fits the vision of music, looking back and forth in search of depth and new paths.

The eight songs on the album are composed by Wilkins and the arrangements are by Wilkins himself and Collins.

The album begins with the "Spiraling". The Coltrenian spirit flies in the studio and anticipates what the rest of the album will bring us. We couldn't start better. Ten minutes of great intensity.

The Wilkins soprano soars to the skies on “The Blades Proposition” and blends in seamlessly with the other accompanists.

In "Marionettes" he plays the tenor and his companions, especially Perla and Landham show a total chemistry, as if they had played together for a long time and the reality is that this is the first time they have done it together.

Not everything is intensity on the album, there are also moments for lighter pieces like “Benediction Of The Moon” or rhythmic full of swing like “Kindling of the Phoenix” demonstrating the rapport of the group as a whole.

"Billows" is a beautiful and haunting ballad where Wilkins once again proves his worth and versatility.

"Get the Point" begins with a solo by Landham on drums and Wilkins immediately sets the tone for the soprano to follow the speed and takes over this theme thanks to the rhythm section that surpasses itself.

To recover what better than the contemplative "Gaia's Blessing", another beautiful ballad.

As Wilkins says "Creating music, at its best, has always been a visually inspired and viscerally cinematic experience for me. The interplay of harmony and melody paints a picture that, when animated and balanced by a stable core of rhythm, sets the stage for a story to unfold. "

This is this work, paintings painted with musical notes.
The Jazz Room


The self-titled debut of the Horizons Quartet (PM Records) made me smile while grooving hard. Tenor and Soprano Sax man Dan Wilkins, who wrote all eight tracks, is in his twenties. Bassist Gene Perla—who has played with Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis and Elvin Jones—is in his eighties. Somewhere in-between are Philadelphia drummer/educator Byron Landham—who teaches at Temple University and has played behind Betty Carter—plus pianist/organist/ James Collins (the secret weapon of this quartet and the student of Landham). Together they meander lovingly light as a breeze with airy interplay and deep chemistry, swinging hard in a post-bop universe of never-ending ideas with the 10:08 opener “Spiraling” kicking it all off in grand style. It doesn’t let up throughout. Bravo!

James    Benny    Dan    Gene    Byron 

by Thomas Cunniffe
April 15, 2022

The Horizons Quartet is a cross-generational group based in Philadelphia. It combines the talents of established veteran musicians Gene Perla and Byron Landham with the dynamic younger players Dan Wilkins and James Collins. Wilkins and Collins are extraordinary musicians with deep knowledge of jazz history, and flexible styles that work within multiple genres. These young men come to jazz through family connections, as their fathers are also well-known jazz musicians (For the record, Daniel’s father Skip was my jazz theory professor in college, and he is also a former contributor to Jazz History Online.) For a special gig at Chris’ Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia, Daniel invited Benny Benack III (also part of a large jazz family) to augment the group. Benack is an emerging star in his own right, but within the Horizons ensemble, he was simply another member of the group, adding his unique, but complimentary, solo voice to the ensemble.

The set began with Wilkins intoning a hip medium-tempo version of “How Deep is the Ocean”. His smoky tone mixes elements of Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter, and his ideas remained consistent across the mellow first chorus and the swinging second. Benack’s follow-up was on trumpet, but his sound was so rounded that I did a double-take to be sure he hadn’t switched to flugelhorn! His jagged phrases cut across the phrase lines, marking a significantly different approach from Wilkins’ smooth tenor and Collins’ sparkling piano. The next tune, a Wilkins original titled “Benediction of the Moon”, was a vastly different experience. Spotlighting a lyric melody over samba rhythm, the performance included a full-toned soprano sax solo, followed by long, flowing lines from the trumpeter.

“Reminiscing with You” is a Wilkins melody over the changes of “I Remember You”. The spirit of Clifford Brown was in the air as Benack’s solo quoted the late trumpet master (and former Philly local musician). Wilkins showcased both his tenor and soprano horns here, offering distinct stylistic differences between the two instruments. Landham and Collins shared the spotlight on “The Blade’s Proposition”. The extended piano solo started quietly, accompanied by dancing cymbals. As the intensity of Collins’ statement increased, Landham was a true collaborator, matching a percussive answer to each keyboard impulse. The set closed with “Get the Point” which featured another spectacular Landham solo.

Horizons Quartet’s eponymous album comes highly recommended. It contains several of the pieces played at the Philadelphia and Wilmington concerts. It can be ordered at www.pmrecords.com.

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