Counterweight
Throttle Elevator Music producer Gregory Howe returns with Counterweight, a collaborative offering of ten new songs following the success and critical reception of Throttle Elevator Music.
Much of the T.E.M. personnel are reunited with bassist/composer Matt Montgomery and drummer Mike Hughes (both also heard on late guitarist Larry Coryell's Wide Hive release Heavy Feel) joining trumpeter Erik Jekabson (Area J, Throttle IV, and Retrorespective) and the welcome addition of Bay Area heavies Mike Ramos on guitar and Kasey Knudsen on saxophone.
A sonic departure from the Throttle project, Counterweight maintains an urgent, exploratory attitude, with intense improvisational playing and a compositional architecture both soulful and cerebral.
The soaring lead trumpet performances by Jekabson anchor Counterweight in the tradition of a modern jazz trumpet ensemble while the ensemble actively navigates toward new musical terrain.
Track Listing:
HUM 5.00
MONTECITO SUNSET 5.18
TIME IS A SPHERE 3.24
APARECIDA 7.08
ELLIPSIS 4.23
SOLACING 4.24
EMBARCADERO PLAZA 4.02
ERGOT 5.00
DRONI MITCHELL 4.38
EXTREMIS 4.51
Erik Jekabson
Erik Jekabson is a freelance trumpet player, composer, arranger and educator living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has toured with Illinois Jacquet, John Mayer, Galactic, and has performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman.
Gregory Howe
Gregory Howe founded Wide Hive Records in 1996. While primarily active as producer, mixer, and composer, Howe also performs guitar, synthesizer, turntable, voice and percussion on many recordings. From 1996 to 2024 Howe recorded and released albums for Throttle Elevator Music with Kamasi Washington, Roscoe Mitchell, Mike Clark, Dissent, Erik Jekabson, Calvin Keys, Phil Ranelin (Pharoah Sanders, Henry Franklin, Big Black), Wide Hive Players and the incomparable artist and guitarist Larry Coryell.
Matt Montgomery
Matt Montgomery plays the bass, writes music, and plays piano/keyboards. He has performed and/or recorded with Faye Carol, Calvin Keys, Larry Coryell, Mark Levine, Phil Ranelin, singer/songwriters Cass McCombs, Greg Ashley, Adam Stephens (of Two Gallants), Grammy-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli, and many more.
Mike Hughes
Michael Hughes is an American drummer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He studied drumming at L.A. Music Academy with Joe Porcaro and Ralph Humphrey and spent a decade performing in LA with artists such as Tal Wilkenfeld, Frank Gambale, and Robben Ford. He is the drummer on "Heavy Feel" by Larry Coryell as well as Throttle Elevator Music's "Area J" and "Jagged Rocks" featuring Kamasi Washington.
MIke Ramos
Mike Ramos is a musician and guitarist living in Oakland California. He has most recently performed in bands such as Jason Newsted's Chop House Band (Newsted was formerly in Metallica), Gregory Howe's Solo Record, and Counterweight (Throttle Elevator Music).