Burning Ghosts

”One of the best bands to emerge from L.A. in years.” –Downtown Music Gallery (NYC)

A politically motivated quartet at the forefront of the jazz-metal underground featuring four of the most acclaimed musicians in the LA experimental music scene. Playing scorching instrumentals that touch on heavy metal and jazz, the music is uncompromising and intense, filled with precise rhythmic complexity and textural power. They have released four incendiary albums to date, both on John Zorn’s Tzadik label and Dan Rosenboom’s Orenda Records, and their fiery sound has thrilled audiences in across the US and in Europe at such internationally-acclaimed festivals as Jazzfestival Saalfelden, Angel City Jazz Festival, and Jazz Em Agosto. This is music with a short fuse on a razor’s edge.

Dan Rosenboom - Trumpet/Cornet
Jake Vossler - Electric Gutiar
Richard Giddens - Double Bass
Aaron McLendon - Drums

European Tour Representation: Saudades Toureen

ALBUMS

VIDEOS

PRESS

"Boxes be damned, classifying this as jazz- rock or jazz-metal is a waste of energy. It is simply what it is, which is great music... Marvelous." –Jazz In Europe

"Reclamation is the middle ground between Bitches Brew and Bloodlet." —Observer

"It was big, it was badass, it was an impressive collection of identifiable SONGS, and it ended with a tide of heavy feedback and applause, the way it sure oughta." –MetalJazz (live review)

"It’s like a musical diamond mine—the deeper you go, the more you find... No matter the political view or interpretation, though, one can find enjoyment in Reclamation, because at the core of this message is some of the LA’s best musicians (all virtuosos at their instruments) making music that pushes the boundaries of noise rock, free jazz and every genre in between into new and interesting places." —Heavy Blog Is Heavy

"True to the stated purpose of Burning Ghosts, Reclamation is another piercing protest document without words. But regardless of what your politics might be, there’s much to relish here as long as you appreciate raw passion delivered through accomplished musicianship and a fearless attitude." —Something Else Reviews

"Progressive anger can blast down some ugly walls, and Burning Ghosts' new recording shows how to do it without saying a word (or firing a shot)... This hard-jammin' quartet has jelled. Last year's debut raged with energy, but a span of seasoning and an appropriate alignment with John Zorn's avantist Tzadik label (Naked City, Secret Chiefs 3) have left the Ghosts focused and ready to dominate... Touched with Aylerlike churn and serene Coltranian confidence, "Reclamation" harks back to a time when revolution sprang directly from phonograph grooves into the hearts of millions. If you're wishing for this decade's most potent way of declaring "We're not gonna take it," look no further." —MetalJazz (album review)

"The music spits fire and lightning, maintaining it's fast speed, regardless of the complexity of the music. The dynamics at play are powerful with the music moving from slow and ponderous to white hot and fast... This is heavy and dense music that is still able to retain a tenuous tie to the jazz tradition while blasting it relentlessly into the future." —Music and More

"Reclamation captures some of LA’s most creative virtuosos pushing the boundaries between musical genres, in the tradition of metallic cross-over ensembles like Last Exit, Painkiller, and Simulacrum. For those interested in hearing what the left coast has to offer in these trying times, this bracing sophomore effort rewards multiple listens." —Point of Departure

★★★★½ "Reclamation is Burning Ghosts second album and first for John Zorn's Tzadik label. Based in Los Angeles, the band's fire and brimstone-like overtures are seated in doom metal-jazz along with renegade fuzoid bop movements. The musicians dole out sheets of torrential soundwaves via fluently enacted unison runs and booming cadenzas that spark a tidal wave of fun factors on a recurring basis... Led by gifted trumpeter Daniel Rosenboom and nascent guitar hero Jake Vossler, the group's intense modus operandi tenders thrills per nanosecond. It's best if played loud to appreciate the quartet's gargantuan presence and resonating song-forms. Moreover, Rosenboom and Vossler's exchanges will most assuredly send tremors down your spine." —All About Jazz

"Burning Ghosts, an L.A.-based fiery quartet that aims at today’s world injustices by verging on electric fusion genius to impress... Following the well-received self-titled debut album, released last year on the trumpeter’s label Orenda Records, Reclamation sets the bar even higher, captivating with a musical approach whose muscle, inspiration, intensity, and responsiveness have opened the doors of John Zorn’s record label, Tzadik... If you’re the adventurous type, Burning Ghosts will make you spin with the immense force of their underground volleys. I trust this band will have all the attention they deserve to keep protesting with this quality." —JazzTrail

"Where to start with Burning Ghosts? Thematically, they’re one of the most politically conscious bands out there, with a keen mix of justice, outrage, and empathy. Trumpeter Daniel Rosenboom, guitarist Jake Vossler, bassist Richard Giddens, and drummer Aaron McLendon are each insanely skilled. They’re self-described as jazz-metal, but their sound, especially on their sophomore album Reclamation, is filtered through a decidedly SoCal aesthetic: think Sunset Strip metal and glam meets San Pedro and Long Beach punk... Reclamation seems very much like a personal journey for each member, one that maps quite well onto the experience of the majority of Americans, as we enter into this most unbelieveable year of 2017. Everything is cacophonic, and weekly threats on freedom and safety amplify the collective emotional response. Sometimes, you need a loud, stomping, raucous outlet. And Reclamation delivers loud, stomping, raucous playing that ends appropriately with “Revolution,” 2:30 of note-perfect, head-banging joy." —The Free Jazz Collective

BEST OF 2016 — Avant Music News

"...unruly...raging...visceral...raw...pure...expressive...a multi-faceted epic... Is Burning Ghosts the ‘Rage Against The Machine’ of jazz? Maybe that isn’t the conscious goal since there are those other precedents; it just seems to be the right time to bring up age-old issues that continue to fester, within the context of music that can match the passion on the streets. But listening to this music leaves the impression that Daniel Rosenboom & Co. wouldn’t shy away from the comparison with that other band from L.A., either."
—S. Victor Aaron, Something Else Reviews

"Daniel Rosenboom turns up the simmering menace of '70s Miles to a full boil of modern social warfare with a new band and album by Burning Ghosts, wherein the trumpeter's cool lyricism contrasts against the noisy electric onslaught of guitarist Jake Vossler; bassist Richard Giddens and drummer Aaron McLendon lend flexible support to a variegated soundscape that also offers oases of lovely repose." 
—Greg Burk, MetalJazz.com

★★★★ "A timeless meditation on the unsolved problems of economic and racial inequality, Burning Ghosts is a modern jazz protest record in league with the politically-charged efforts of the New Thing, extending the innovations of luminaries like Max Roach and Archie Shepp into the new millennium."
—Troy Collins, All About Jazz

"The frontline of trumpet and electric guitar is an especially powerful blend. Commencing with “Anthem”, Rosenboom plays some solemn trumpet over the intense, raging guitar-led trio erupting underneath. “Defiance” is aptly titled since it is powerful, tight and defiant. The interplay between the trumpet and guitar is incredible, spewing out fast & furious lines in tight orbits, the entire quartet as one intense force. What makes this quartet so unique is the way Rosenboom's trumpet draws from a more tradition sound while Mr. Vossler's guitar blends jazz, rock and noise elements in equal measure. On "Elegy" Rosenboom's muted trumpet is laid back and enchanting and well matched by Vossler's laid back, skeletal guitar, the mood is somber and contemplative, hence the song's title. "Dissent" starts out quietly and builds in intensity throughout with some inspired trumpet and guitar flurries, crisscrossing and erupting into a grand conclusion. On "Flashpoint", guitarist Vossler gets a chance to stretch out and take a long, spectacular solo, shredding at times before calming down. There is an ancient tug-of-war going on here between the triumphant tone & playing of the Rosenboom's great trumpet and the seething anger of the guitar led jazz/rock trio kicking up a storm underneath. Along with their cohorts in Evil Genius, Burning Ghosts show that they are one of the best bands to emerge from L.A. in years."
—Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery Newsletter

★★★★½ "Daniel Rosenboom has the sort of explosive imagination that triggers creative breakthroughs. Nothing is off limits, and he delights in making high art and anarchy kiss and tumble into bed together. The LA trumpeter has released two new albums simultaneously. The first, Book of Storms, the latest instalment in his occasional Book series, is a maelstrom of spectral abstractions and crunching rock. Burning Ghosts, the eponymous debut from a new band, is even fiercer, pressure-cooking an anger that could be the corollary of the Trump phenomenon. Rosenboom's trumpet is a laser-beam that pulverises any arbitrary lines between idioms, including thrash metal and jazz. The trumpet is muted on the more restrained Elegy, but the laser-beam is amplified in terms of emotional impact. The band is completed by electric guitarist Jake Vossler, acoustic bassist Richard Giddens and drummer Aaron McLendon, all players who can engage with the compositions' demands, then throw off the shackles to deliver fearless, monstrous performances when required. The constant dialogue between primality, beauty, instinct and intelligence sets this – and all Rosenboom's projects – apart. Gripping." 
—John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald

"...I think that Burning Ghosts is the band I’ve been looking for all this time. Hailing from LA, and signed to the experimental independent label Orenda Records, Burning Ghosts brings everything in jazz I like—lots of passionate, full-bodied playing and tons of free improvisation—and mixes it with metal. The group is a quartet, featuring trumpeter Daniel Rosenboom (who is also the founder of Orenda Records), guitarist Jake Vossler, bassist Richard Giddens, and drummer Aaron McLendon. This lineup alone makes me pretty excited—it’s a something you don’t see a whole lot. Usually when there’s a band crossing these genres, a saxophone player is usually part of the personnel (VIRTA being an exception to the rule). Having a trumpet take that spot stirs the pot a little bit, so to speak—it offers sounds and techniques of jazz that you don’t hear a whole lot.

To describe Burning Ghosts’s sound is a little difficult, honestly; they’re one of those bands that blends the gritty edge and heaviness of metal with the passion of jazz into something completely their own. If I had to, I’d say that they take a little bit of what White Suns does—that is, play a sort of noise rock with a unique emphasis on noise—and mix that with Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis. I can’t honestly say how much of the band’s music is improvised or not—though it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that it’s completely improvised—but there’s a significant element of freedom and abstraction to the music. The instruments don’t feel confined to their normal duties (i.e. bass guitar and drums only exist to keep rhythm, etc.)—they each take control at one time or another, which keeps things fresh. Rosenboom’s trumpet playing also reminds me a lot of Dave Douglas (of Masada fame)—full of heart, but also willing to dive into a bit of insanity, with squeals and various extended techniques.

Then there’s the political edge to these guys. In his review of the band, S. Victor Aaron (of Something Else Reviews), described Burning Ghosts, in a sense, as “the Rage Against the Machine of jazz,” which, the more I think about it, seems pretty apt. There’s a distinct hint of social justice and political outcry with this band, but it’s not in a Neil Young-beat-you-over-the-head-with-political-ideology kind of way. If anything, their music is an instrumental song of hope; just listen to the beginning track of their self-titled debut, “Anthem”, where Vossler’s guitar creates this incredible wall of noise in the background while Rosenboom wears his heart on his sleeve in some of the most passionate trumpet playing I’ve ever heard. It’s unconsciously saying (to me, anyway—feel free to agree or disagree) that, yes, there is a lot of horrible bullshit going on in the world, but we can still rise up and be the better people, and make a change. They aren’t complaining about the political climate of the world as much as they’re just doing something about it, albeit in their own way.

So, if you want metal and jazz fused together that isn’t full-on Jaga Jazzist-esque prog, that can get nitty gritty when it wants to be, that sounds like really nothing you’ve ever heard, I highly, highly suggest checking out Burning Ghosts. If I had known about this band earlier, I can almost guarantee that this would be on my top ten of 2016."
—Jimmy Mullet, Heavy Blog Is Heavy

For our Spanish-speaking friends:

"Burning Ghosts nos ha entregado un álbum impactante en el que, además de sus (muchas) virtudes musicales, se vislumbra un gesto vital de rebeldía, una necesaria e imprescindible reacción en defensa de las víctimas de tanta injusticia y el obligado recordatorio de que debemos luchar por los que hoy están sufriendo."
—Sergio Piccirilli, El Intruso

A beautiful reflection on "Anthem" from Mouser:

"The lazily meandering trumpet. It’s a character those of us conversant with jazz feel a familiar affection towards, with its self-assured quality so naturally paired with its uneven gait. Such is a familiarity Burning Ghosts evokes effortlessly, and as naturally they hurl that beloved character into a chaotic frenzy of distorted guitar and a fit of hysterical drumming."

"'Anthem' comes from Burning Ghosts’s self-titled album that takes a post-historic look at present day America, or rather, a look back at the unraveling of a society in future tense. I imagine the coolly loping trumpet as my guide through this hellish landscape, in a time when excesses and intolerance has overrun every aspect of society, a kind of scorched earth of American national identity.

"I feel in 'Anthem' a yearning towards redefinition, of subverting traditional hierarchies and fleshing out a new form on the stripped skeleton of the old. There is a recognizable element to hold onto in the trumpet as a storm of grinding guitar screams, 'This is not the place you know! You are not safe here!' The two dichotomous elements joining hands as a way of holding a mirror to the fabric of civic morality in America and watching to see if that mirror catches fog from breathing too faint to perceive by less subtle means.

"I can’t help but feel a certain affinity for the anxieties of Burning Ghosts, while the Surface is an inherently more violent place; we’ve seen our fair share of violence and tension in the Great Below as of late. I do not hold the belief that our glorious society will suffer as I see here on the Surface—and certainly do not fear that we will fall. Ha! The history of the Mouser Organization is the very definition of history itself! But that being said, Honeybear, I know you cognize when I say I understand their unease."

All photographs by Eron Rauch, unless otherwise noted.
© Eron Rauch 2015. All Rights Reserved.