silky lines with little half-value wrinkles and knots of expressive riffs that smooth out into longer, song-like phrases; every phrase ramps the tension up a bit until he explodes with stratospheric wail and kites a long passage of swirling abstractions above the now-boiling foundation laid down by Hamid Drake and William Parker. The performance oscillates between the solid grounding of the beat and the quicksilver free pulse. Campbell's trio makes a powerful case for free jazz as an important expression of the African aesthetic in the U.S. When it's fused with music from the African diaspora, you can hear free jazz as the extension of a long African heritage. If the lilt and sway of reggae are heard in 'Ethnic Stew and Brew,' so too is the jungle sound of '3O's Ellington. The dark abstractions of Bill Dixon are as much as part of Campbell's vocabulary as the brassy wail of a Cuban conjunto. The idea that a spontaneous jazz trumpet melody, an Afro-Cuban drum pattern, and the atonal sweep of the arco bass can co-exist and make sense together is both open-hearted and daring. The Pyramid Trio is ambitious enough to seek a musical / cultural identity that speaks to a world with permeable borders, instant communication, and an aching need for connection and context."

~ Ed Hazell, "The Boston Phoenix," 8/O1

"Roy Campbell growls like Ellingtonian Cootie Williams, erupts into long sprinting lines and funky blues inflections that would do Lee Morgan proud, and peppers his solos with free-jazz smears and abstract sounds."

~ Ed Hazell, "The Boston Phoenix," 8/O3

[Also about "Ethnic Stew and Brew"]: "Many want to canonize jazz as America's classical music, but vanguard musicians such as Roy Campbell reinforce the case that jazz is this country's contribution to so-called 'world music.' Campbell, bassist William Parker, and drummer Hamid Drake, working together as the Pyramid Trio for the first time, draw from within, using diverse rhythms, melodies, and instruments to create something that is more than jazz. They blur borders with every note. Only the Art Ensemble of Chicago has ever done anything this complex in a small group."

~ Daniel Piotrowski, "CityPaper," 4/O1

[More on "Ethnic Stew and Brew"] "One of the most impressive non-vocal protest records since the days of Mingus's 'Haitian Fight Songs,' it is sufficient reason for giving the Pyramid Trio a hearing, and more than sufficient answer to those who argue that modern jazz has little to say to the contemporary world. It is an intelligent musical partnership in full flight. With its blend of world music, New York experimentalism, and dazzling virtuosity, it is no surprise to find the record already on a lot of critics' '1O best of the year' lists. Roy Campbell has a distinctive and self-sufficient style, but if you want to find ancestors, you can trace a lineage back through Kenny Dorham to Fats Navarro, with a healthy dose of Lee Morgan thrown in, all of which means he has fluidity and a fire that the Miles Davis school usually lacks. Add a deep involvement in the avant-garde (Campbell is a key figure in many projects here), and as a final touch, he was taught arrangement by Yusef Lateef, a pioneer in the use of African and Asian elements in jazz. The end product is a player with much flair and a fondness for gobal rhythms who approaches his material with intensity and passion... purposeful improvisation of the first order."

~ Maurice Bottomley, "Pop Matters" Music

"'Ethnic Stew and Brew' will take you to Africa, to Asia, to the Bronx, and to places more inward. But no matter where Roy Campbell leads, this extremely gifted musician brings his individual style. Campbell's music comes from his very soul."

~ Delmark Records

"A powerful and lyrical player who embodies the best elements of the bop-to-modern trumpet lineage, Roy Campbell is a monster trumpeter. If there is a player he's closest to in that tradition, it's that paragon of lyrical bop trumpet, Lee Morgan. He's the latest in a long line that has extended from Navarro through Brownie through Booker Little and beyond. Campbell attains the smoldering white-hot intensity that few apart from Miles Davis have achieved. These influences aren't mere acts of mimicry; they are fully integrated into a personal style that seemingly has the whole history of post-World War II trumpet stylings incorporated into it. Campbell is truly a complete trumpet player." ~ Robert Iannapollo, "Cadence" Magazine

"A seductive combo of blue-tinged lyricism and honed post-bop chops."

~ "Pulse" Magazine

"Roy Campbell exemplifies the type of originality acoustic players should strive for even when celebrating the tradition.... Campbell's passion seems contagious, inspiring heartfelt solos from his side men."

~ "Jazziz" Magazine, 8/95

"If only those yuppie buppie boppers had ideas like Roy's! Strongly recommended."

~ Robert L. Campbell, "Cadence" Magazine, 12/94

"Roy Campbell has a keen awareness of his own musical heritage and a deep interest in ethnic music in general. He is a trumpeter whose intense, fiery style and eloquent expression were fine-tuned by an impressive trio of instructors - Lee Morgan, Kenny Dorham, and Joe Newman."

~ "Stereo Review," 11/94

"Roy Campbell's playing, as smeary and sexy as Miles Davis, is particularly hot."

~ Jerome Wilson, "Option" Magazine, '93

[ About an Ensemble Muntu performance] "Roy Campbell, on trumpet, blew faster than the human ear could hear. Or human fingers could move. Till now. Spattering out rapid-fire or doing mellow individualistic / collective symphonic teamwork / individuality, he was amazing."

~ "Ottawa Revue"

[About "Krunch Time" (Thirsty Ear)] "Roy Campbell has created another great record. 'Krunch Time' redefines Campbell's prowess as a leader and great trumpeter."

~ Daniel Piotrowski, "JazzTimes"

"Trumpeter Roy Campbell is probably the best going these days, an incredibly adept purveyor of melodic phrasing that really carries a tune home. I would stack 'Ethnic Stew and Brew' up against any other 'free' / improv work of the past 2O years without reservation."

~ Joe S. Harrington, "New York Press," volume 14, issue 15

"Refreshingly free from hard ideology, Roy Campbell will play sputtering, fluttering lines one moment, bright, streamlined bebop phrases the next, and make it all sound whole and right. Solid from end to end and thrillingly executed, 'Ethic Stew and Brew' catches three great players in fleet form, taking hints from music all over the time line and making memorable new music. It is an album that will be played over and over again."

~ Aaron Steinberg, "Hear / say," 11/O1

"Trumpeter Roy Campbell's approach is to swallow all musical concepts, converting 'world music' into one music. His playing can emanate pure improvisation, as with the quartet Other Dimensions in Music, and the trumpeter can also maintain that improvisational touch in the large band of William Parker. Campbell's trumpet comes with the lyricism of Freddie Hubbard, the freedom of Albert Ayler, and the worldliness of Don Cherry. "

~ Mark Corroto, "All About Jazz"

Click on the links below for more:

Roy Campbell Concert Calendar

Roy Campbell Biography

Roy Campbell Discography

For further information: (718) 654~4925
<www.roycampbellmusic.com>
<roycampbell@hotmail.com>.
 
 

For latest updates on Roy Campbell, Jr.'s New York-area concert schedule,
please consult the "continuous events" and "upcoming events" sections 
of the Web site <http://www.jazznewyork.org>.