For those unaware, a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow in Music Composition, Michael Dease is a trombonist, baritone saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator whose large-ensemble career has included the Illinois Jacquet Big Band and groups led by Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride and others.

On his brand new album entitled The Sleeper: The Music of Gregg Hill (out now via Cold Plunge Records), it extends Dease’s ongoing collaboration with Hill, a prolific Michigan composer, jazz aficionado and philanthropist whose writing has become a recurring part of Dease’s recorded work.

Produced by Dease and featuring guest soloists Dr. Eddie Henderson and Virginia MacDonald, The Sleeper gives 10 Hill compositions to 10 different arrangers. It is Dease’s first big-band album devoted entirely to Hill’s music.

1. The Sleeper
2. Aftershock
3. La Canción
4. Betty’s Tune
5. Mr. Pea is Welcomed To The Pod
6. Go Figure!
7. Common Ground
8. Quietude
9. Sloe Gin Fizz
10. Jack the Shaker

Having known Hill in passing through Michigan’s jazz community before encountering his writing closely during a Rodney Whitaker recording session, this dutifully crafted, and wholly impassioned new set opens on the gloriously sumptuous title cut The Sleeper and the luxuriantly decadent Aftershock and then we are brought forth the resoundingly emboldened fare of La Canción, the fervently flighty Betty’s Tune, with the engagingly ambient Mr. Pea is Welcomed To The Pod along next.

Up next is the triumphantly soaring, jubilantly staggered Go Figure! and that is in turned followed seamlessly by the melodiously ascending Common Ground, the lush hipsway of Quietude, the new set rounding out on the congenial finger-snapper Sloe Gin Fizz, coming to an all-too-soon close on the emotively captivating Jack the Shaker.

Musicians:
Michael Dease — trombone, baritone saxophone
Dr. Eddie Henderson — trumpet
Virginia MacDonald — clarinet
Saxophones: Sharel Cassity — alto and soprano saxophones, flute
Rudresh Mahanthappa — alto saxophone
Jason Hainsworth — tenor saxophone, clarinet
Kirk MacDonald — tenor saxophone, clarinet
Clark Gibson — baritone saxophone, flute
Trombones: Aidan Clark, Nanami Haruta, Ken Thompkins, Pablo Muller Santiago (bass trombone)
Trumpets: Nathaniel Williford, Renée McGee, Matt White, David Sneider

Rhythm Section and Guests: Miki Hayama — piano; Langston Kitchen — bass; Dr. Colleen Clark — drums; Randy Napoleon — guitar; Gwen Dease and Kevin Jones — percussion; Jalen Baker — vibraphone; Tommy Noble — additional flute/clarinet

Additional Musicians: Zach Sommerfeld — guitar on Betty’s Tune; Rodney Whitaker — bass on Aftershock; Altin Sencalar — trombone on La Canción; Wycliffe Gordon — trombone on Sloe Gin Fizz; Jack Covert — shaker on Jack the Shaker

Official Purchase Link

www.michaeldease.com

Michael Dease @ Facebook