blink. (American band)

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blink.
OriginChicago, Illinois
GenresJazz fusion
Years active2006–present[1]
LabelsThirsty Ear Recordings
MembersJeff Greene
Quin Kirchner
Dave Miller
Greg Ward
Websitewww.thirstyear.com

blink. is a jazz fusion band from Chicago, Illinois. It was formed in 2006 when most of the original songs were written by the band's four members.[1] Headed by bassist Jeff Greene, the band's prime motivation lies in the furtherance and expansion of fusion jazz. The full band consists of Jeff Greene: acoustic and electric basses, samples, harmonium; Quin Kirchner: drums, cymbals, percussion, glockenspiel; Dave Miller: electric guitar, sound effects; Greg Ward: alto sax.[2][3] They have toured extensively across five continents, including North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America.[2] The band's compositions, which included free jazz and sound effects, have been commissioned and performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble.[1]

First studio album[edit]

blink. released their first studio album, entitled The Epidemic of Ideas, on August 26, 2008.[2] According to data gathered by Chart, the album was played frequently on jazz radio stations in the United States from September to November 2008.[4][5][6][7] The album was the sixth most played jazz album on KSPC for the week of October 27, 2008,[8] and the eighth most played on CFRU-FM for the week of October 7, 2008.[9] The Epidemic Of Ideas received the tenth most airplay of any jazz album on CJSW for the week ending October 6, 2008.[10]

The album received positive reviews from music critics. Manny Theiner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gave the album a "Very good" 3.5/4 rating, and commented: "The Epidemic of Ideas is an appropriate title for Blink's debut CD, as the exploration of forms, textures and motifs is almost never-ending. Successful tracks range from jazz-funk-rock 'Secret Weapon Part I', where guitarist Dave Miller blisters the fretboard Marc Ribot-style, to the glitchy, laptoppy electronics permeating 'Sources', from the off-kilter, odd-timed Miller guitar runs and Quin Kircher's percussion clatter on 'Displacement', to the comparatively meditative, gamelan-like feel of 'Glass'."[11] AllMusic wrote in their review: "[The album] contains rather provocative investigations of vanguard jazz as it interacts with electronics, mutant funk, and even post-rock. Greene's compositions are rooted in space and edgy drama, and have wide-open spaces for various kinds of improvisations; rarely does one player occupy the solo space without another (or even two) engaging him directly."[2] The album also received positive reviews from All About Jazz[12] and The Phoenix's John Garelick, who gave the album a 3/4 rating and said, "Aside from the general aggressive, post-rock, post-jazz underground feel, there’s pretty tunes here, lots of slow, quiet parts, bebop flow, and even some walking bass. Another way to hear jazz."[3] DownBeat magazine gave the album a four-star review in its January 2009 issue.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "blink". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Epidemic of Ideas". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  3. ^ a b Garelick, Jon (October 1, 2008). "The Epidemic of Ideas". The Phoenix. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  4. ^ "Full Jazz/Blues Chart - October 25–31, 2008". Chart. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2009-06-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ "Full Jazz/Blues Chart - October 19–25, 2008". Chart. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2009-06-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Full Jazz/Blues Chart - October 04 - October 10, 2008". Chart. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved 2009-06-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ "Full Jazz/Blues Chart - September 20–26, 2008". Chart. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2009-06-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "KSPC Charts For The Week Of October 27th, 2008". KSPC. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  9. ^ "Charts - 2008-10-07". CFRU. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  10. ^ "Charts for week ending October 6, 2008". CJSW. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  11. ^ Theiner, Manny (October 23, 2008). "For the Record: AC/DC, Blink, Mike Reed's Loose Assembly". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  12. ^ Horton, Lyn (24 September 2008). "The Epidemic of Ideas". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
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