Tone Madison’s favorite records of 2024
“Tom Curry, Jason Kutz, and Noah Gilfillan united under the Wonderporium moniker to create Two Impromptus, one of the most improbably moving ambient records in recent memory. (True both locally and nationally, to my ears.)” — Steven Sporel
Madison Ballet’s new seasons sparkles with ‘Rhapsody in Blue’
“The energy of Gershwin’s music as interpreted by local band Mr. Chair — a trio including Jason Kutz (piano), Ben Ferris (bass) and Mike Koszewski (drums) — raises the collective vibration of the theater to the point where viewing the dance feels more like witnessing a dance floor in action rather than a proscenium stage on display. It is a fitting reminder of the power of the artistic community in Madison.” — Dan Van Note
Madison Ballet’s new season sparkles with ‘Rhapsody in Blue’
Better Days album review
“Jason Kutz’s composition, “Britten’s Written Rhythm,” is a labyrinthine piece, oscillating between classical, Island, and jazz fusion tones. The mastery here lies in the seamless blending of these varied elements, culminating in an ensemble section that contrasts 20th-century European classical sounds with a rich Island groove. It’s an intricate journey, invoking a sense of worldly intrigue.” — Ferell Aubre
AllAboutJazz Better Days album review
“A quintet with a diverse sound palette, Mr. Chair’s idiosyncratic mix of jazz, classical and prog-rock opens up endless possibilities for musical genre blending.” — Geannine Read
Wisconsin Academy, People & Ideas
“Kutz’s composition is a response to the beauty and bold nature of Bruce Crownover’s art, and to the dire fact that the glaciers are melting at a rapid pace. … This result of these interrelated projects involving scientists, artists, and musicians, is a story of melting glaciers and of loss, and a story of hope through creativity, science, and collaboration.”
Tone Madison’s top songs of 2022, pt. II
“Mr. Chair throws a lot at listeners—multimedia collaborations, dizzying torrents of melody, cosmic-scale concepts. “Fuschia” pulls back and gives the light of distant stars some time to get here. Keyboardist Jason Kutz’s composition starts off with a lilting cascade of electric piano, over palm-muted plucks from guitarist José Guzmán (the band’s newest member) doubling Ben Ferris’ bass figures and rustling percussion from Mike Koszewski. Guest player Eddie Barbash’s alto sax comes in just above a murmur, unfurling into gorgeously understated flurries. Even when trombonist Mark Hetzler joins in for a big glitzy chorus, there’s a galaxy of breathing room left.” —Scott Gordon
Prog Magazine, UK
“The euphonious elements at the heart of Snarky Puppy’s appeal are also present in Mr. Chair’s debut, Nebulebula (Bandcamp), a Wisconsin-based quartet boasting dolorous trombone and fizzing keyboards. Wide, accomodating grooves also play host to guesting players and occasional vocal/spoken passages on a double album that’s largely comfortable, genteel listening.” — Sid Smith
February 2020, Issue 106
Tone Madison Top 20 Madison Records 2019
“The full effect of the record’s ebb and flow and cosmic curiosity are difficult to initially quantify, like binging a TV series that continuously fosters its own intrigue through shrewd synthesis of genre elements. Mr. Chair’s compositions follow playful and cerebral impulses all at once (the album title reads like some kind of astronomical in-joke).” — Grant Phipps
Mr. Chair brings its music into the classroom
“The Majestic show spotlighted many of the band’s collaborators, including Stephen Meyers, UW-Madison’s Vilas Distinguished Professor of Geoscience. Onstage, Meyers recalled being inspired after first seeing the band play live, to commission them to perform a newly composed piece – it would be the album’s title track, Nebulebula – during his intro to geoscience course.” — Joel Patenaude
Nebulebula (full album review)
“The avant garde and art jazz scene in Madison has been flourishing over the last few years and Mr. Chair prove just how vital and vibrant it is. This is a world-class group, not just deserving of local accolades but those on a much higher plane. Their brand of fusion reaches across genres like an octopus. Here’s hoping they get the recognition they deserve for this rich tapestry of monumental, boundary-pushing art. It’s so exciting to know this music is being made in Madison.” — Rick Tvedt
Jason Kutz 