CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? 

1. Katonah (5:18) by Steve Grossman (Perla Works/ASCAP)
  2. Gonzo (9:10) by Ryan Devlin (Perla Works/ASCAP)
  3. Mercies (5:16) by John Lumpkin (The People Triumph Productions/ASCAP)
  4. Splash Zone (5:02) by Thomas Milovac (Thomas Milovac/BMI)
  5. You Are My Sunshine (7:27) by Jammie Davis (Southern Music Pub/BMI)
  6. Moon Dance (3:39) by Steve Grossman (Perla Works/ASCAP)
  7. Soultrane (6:48) by Tadd Dameron (Carbaby Music/ASCAP)
  8. New Moon (7:34) by Steve Grossman (Perla Works/ASCAP)
  9. Liberia (5:23) by John Coltrane (Jowcol Music/BMI)
10. Can You Hear Me Now? (6:36) by Ryan Devlin (Perla Works/ASCAP)

Recorded July 3, 2023 at Phat Planet Studios, Orlando, FL
Recorded by Aaron Gandia
Editing/Mixing/Mastering by Nicholas de la Motte
Photos by Caleb Montague
Album Art & Design by Jamie Breiwick
Produced by Ryan Devlin and Gene Perla

Ryan Devlin endorses Boston Sax Shop
John Lumpkin endorses Remo / Sabian / Vic Firth

PMR-061
Copyright 2023 PM Records
PMRecords.com


ALBUM REVIEWS -

  • "The fourth album by Ryan Devlin, one of the young promising saxophonists, is a tribute to the musicians he was inspired by. “Gonzo,” is a reference to Jerry Bergonzi, whom Ryan was taught by. There are three compositions by Steve Grossman, whose playing he emulates to the point of David Liebman saying, "If he were alive today, he would sound like Devlin." In addition to two pieces related to John Coltrane, including the indispensable guide of every saxophonist, “Liberia” and “Soultrane” by Tadd Dameron, there are also compositions by bassist Thomas Milovac and drummer John Lumpkin, who accompany Devlin. Along with Anthony Aldissi's acoustic and electric pianos, they perform this beautiful repertoire with an acoustic approach and at a level of mastery that their emulators would be proud of (if they could hear them)." - Turgay Yalçın - Darkbluenotes.com

  • “Ryan has done his homework by studying the masters.
    With this release he is ready for prime time."
    David Liebman

Can You Hear Me Now?

Live studio video of our new album!

 
 

Ryan Devlin & Steve Kortyka Quintet

A Series Of Circumstances

Ryan Devlin Tenor & Soprano Saxophones
Steve Kortyka Tenor Saxiphone
Mike Bond Grand Piano
Gene Perla Double-Bass
Adam Nussbaum Drums

1. Here They Come by Mike Bond (6:04)
Mike Bond Music (BMI)
2. Played Twice by Thelonius Monk (5:09)
Thelonious Music Corp, (ASCAP)
3, Tomorrow's Surprise by Gene Perla (5:25)
Perla Works (ASCAP)
4. Untitled Original 11383 by John Coltrane (5:27)
Jowcol Music (ASCAP)
5. A Series Of Circumstances by Ryan Devlin (6:38)
Perla Works (ASCAP)
6. Tree's Breeze by Steve Kortyka (8:26)
Perla Works (ASCAP)
7. We 3 by Adam Nussbaum (4:42)
Surewood Music (BMI)
8. Sambra by Gene Perla (4:46)
Perla Works (ASCAP)

“Jazzmen are our surrogates for the unpredictable, our paladins of constant change.” Nat Hentoff

This recording is testament to what Mr. Hentoff is talking about. Ryan and Steve started their collaboration online in a series of videos during the pandemic shutdown and didn’t meet in person for over a year. In that meeting Ryan suggested a twin tenor recording with the “vibe” of Elvin Jones Live at the Lighthouse LP as the inspiration and Steve would be the perfect co leader.

Ryan had been working with pianist Mike Bond and drummer Adam Nussbaum and asked them to join the project. Adam referred bassist Gene Perla who was a member of the Lighthouse quartet to round out the quintet. After a series of gigs in January and March the band was ready to record.

The sympathetic dialog Ryan and Steve have developed stand out on Ryan’s “A Series of Circumstances.” The horns search for solace over some loss that the solo section seems to promise.

Steve’s aptly named “Tree’s Breeze” conjures up images of sunny late Spring afternoons. A welcomed brief respite from an ever-hurried world.

“Here They Come” could have easily found its way onto a classic Blue Note LP. It’s clear from this composition that Mike has studied the masters.

Adam’s “We 3” kicks off with the two horns shredding free style joining up with a unison line and handing it off to the rhythm section who carry it on as a stunning ballad.

Gene’s “Tomorrow’s Surprise” has an easy Latin flavor with the horns opening a call and response take on the melody. Mike and Adam drop down to a whisper to frame out an extended solo by Gene. The band digs in on the festive “Sambra” from the original Lighthouse recording. The band shifts gears on the last solo swinging hard to propel the song to its conclusion.

“Played Twice” by Theolonius Monk and “Untitled Original 11383” by John Coltrane are the two “cover” songs on the recording. The reverence the players have for these two giants of jazz is evident in these inspired interpretations.

The compositions and performances here show a group of players embracing the constant change. 50 years ago, Elvin’s quartet turned on the Lighthouse and its searching light still inspires us to explore the unpredictable.

  • Jim Gilheany

Recorded in March 14, 2022
Trading 8s Studio, Paramus, NJ
Recording by Chris Sulit
Editing/Mixing/Mastering by Nicholas de la Motte
Parker Studio, Easton, PA
Photos: Ryan by Alex Weitz, Steve by
Graphic Design by Jaime Breiwick
Steve Endorses: Yamaha, Boston Sax Shop, & Key Leaves
Adam thanks Sonor, Zildjian, Evans, Canopus, DW, Gator, Qsticks, Zoom, BTU
Produced by Ryan Devlin, Steve Kortyka, and Gene Perla

PMR-056
PMRecords.com
Copyright 2022 PM Records

The Shape of Light

“The Shape of Light” Ryan Devlin’s Electric Band is taking aim at the 70s funk and fusion genres. Influenced by artists like Steve Grossman, Joe Henderson and Michael Brecker, Devlin and his quintet put their own modern spin on the some of the classic tenor giants' arsenal of tunes and vocabulary.

Track listing -

  1. The Drag - Thomas Milovac

  2. WBAI - Steve Grossman

  3. Moon Germs - Joe Farrell

  4. Stella By Starlight - Victor Young

  5. Amtrak - Ryan Devlin

  6. Castles - Thomas Milovac

  7. Kelli With an Eye - Ryan Devlin

  8. The Shape Of Light - Ryan Devlin

Personnell -

Ryan Devlin - Tenor and Soprano Sax

Anthony Aldissi - Keyboard

Thomas Milovac - Electric and acoustic bass

Zach Muth - Guitar (tracks 2,5,6 & 8)

Eric Bailey - Drums

STREAMING -

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/4VgmhzBx8a4l1XySlQNII2?si=g2u4MFLCTrSAOHllcn2Zwg

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-shape-of-light/1588060932

Linear Notes -

Castles - “Castles'' is a composition inspired by the work of the late soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy. Much like Lacy’s later compositions, this piece is focused around the repetition of cellular riffs which form their own jagged groove. The ascending fourths in the melody reflect the towering super structures of a grandiose medieval fortress. In this version, the slow, simmering tempo is reflective of the earthen material which form a castle’s strong walls. This is a composition constantly in flux with an open improvisation section and relies on the intuition of the musicians. -(Thomas Milovac 2021) 

The Drag - This composition was originally written as part of a suite of music meant to accompany dancers. The heart of this tune and it’s groove are inspired by New Orleans funk music. Much like a composition by a group such as The Meters, the saxophone and bass play a unified melody backed up by the driving beat of the drums. The trio setting of this tune allows for further open harmonic exploration and improvisational conversation. - (Thomas Milovac 2021)

Kelli with an eye - This composition was written as a “free form”piece. The little nine note melody is based on the “Messiaen Mode 3” scale, a nine note scale I have been studying. The title comes from a joke I have with my younger sister, Kelli. There was a scene in a show we used to watch as kids called “Spongebob Squarepants” where one of the characters talks about “having an ear for free form jazz”. Kelli would always refer to that after she would hear one of my compositions at a concert, so I thought it would be more than fitting to name this piece after her.

Moon Germs - This tune is the titular track of Joe Farrell’s 1973 album, “Moon Germs”. My father exposed me to Farrell’s album when I was just starting college. Farrell’s post-Coltrane playing acted as an excellent gateway for me to venture aurally to other great post-Coltrane saxophonists such as Dave Liebman and Steve Grossman. This selection serves to pay my respect to Farrell and the influence he’s had on my playing. It also serves to reinforce my belief that you must always have a blues on a jazz record.

WBAI - This tune is the first track on the late Steve Grossman’s 1974 debut album, “Some Shapes to Come”. Grossman’s impact on my playing and my approach to music has been fundamental in getting me to where I stand now musically. One aspect that I made sure to carry over from the original recording was the use of effects. Benoit Glazer recorded and masterfully mixed this to ensure it was authentic to the source material. 

STELLA BY STARLIGHT - This beautiful standard by Victor Young was originally composed for the soundtrack of the 1944 film, “The Uninvited” and has grown to become one of my favorite standards due to its simple, yet elegant nature. I wanted to highlight the vulnerability and intimacy of this tune, so I opted to play duo with Anthony Aldissi on keyboard. Chris Potter’s wonderful “Lift - Live at the Village Vanguard” recording is where I learned this song. To keep the music as organic as possible, Anthony and I did not discuss the arrangement prior to playing and it helped to establish a deeper connection in our rendition of this tune.

AMTRAK - I wrote this tune as a representation of my experience on a  seven hour long Amtrak train ride from Philadelphia to Boston at 1 a.m. The train lost power in New York City at around 3 a.m. and instilled unease within me at the time. I had composed the tune with the playing of Jerry Bergonzi and Steve Grossman in mind. I wrote the tune also trying to convey the frenetic and uncanny feeling of nocturnal, long-distance public transportation. Hopefully some of my unease is portrayed well enough to share the lesson I learned: never take a redeye Amtrak.

THE SHAPE OF LIGHT - This track was entirely free form. No prior instructions, no arrangements, just free. Benoit Glazer came up with the name of the song after the record date, as it was untitled when we recorded it. He named it “The Shape of Light”. I thought that name not only encapsulated the essence of the tune, but of the whole album. The creativity, spontaneity, and communication by all members of the band was so rewarding to be a part of. I hope the world and music-community can hear and look forward to the direction I want to take my sound and group in for the years to come. 




Special thanks to Thomas Milovac, Anthony Aldissi, Eric Bailey, Zach Muth, Micah Silverstein, Benoit Glazer, Riley Cashon and my family for the love, support and opportunity to create this project. 

With love, Ryan Devlin (2021) 





137098C1-36D0-4627-B2D8-2FB7C80BEE1F.jpeg

Thoughts On The Matter

Ryan Devlin - Saxophone

Per Danielsson - Piano/keyboard

Thomas Milovac - Bass

Ulysses Ownes Jr. - Drums

Tracks -

  1. Freefall

  2. The First and Last of Everything

  3. Intro to Grief Suite

  4. Grief Suite Mvt. 1 - Shock

  5. Grief Suite Mvt. 2 - Depression

  6. Grief Suite Mvt. 3 - Anger

  7. Grief Suite Mvt. 4 - Acceptance

  8. Yorkshire Street

  9. Riley

  10. Resolution

This project came together almost by chance. During a global pandemic I did not think recording a live album was even possible. Luckily Benoit Glazer and his family at Timucua Arts made live music possible during this unpredictable time.

I had the opportunity to meet Ulysses Owens Jr. at Timucua back in September. After sitting in on his group's gig, Ulysses offered to come back and play with my Quartet. I immediately went to my favorite Pianist and Bass player in town in Per Danielsson and Thomas Milovac and started writing the project. 

This album is written based on my thoughts and feelings on different matters. After 23 short years of life I've experienced a lot of positives and negatives. Losing my mother in December of 2019 was and still is the biggest obstacle I've faced. I based the album around "The Grief Suite" a suite I wrote based on my feelings during the grieving process after losing my Mom. The tunes proceeding the suite are "Yorkshire Street" which was written for my Yorkshire Terrier Macy and "Riley" a tune I wrote for my beautiful girlfriend. I chose to finish the album with John Coltrane's "Resolution" from his famous project "Love Supreme". Not only does the title really finish off the album but the energy and melody really caps off the project. 

I can't put into words how thankful I am for Benoit Glazer, Ulysses Owens Jr., Thomas Milovac and Per Danielsson for helping bring this project to life. Everyone's playing is absolutely beautiful and exactly what I envisioned when putting this together. I hope you hear my voice come out through this music.

  • Ryan Devlin (2021)