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Stan Killian Quartet
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Live jazz, world music & more are presented at this compact club with its own record label. Two locations: Nublu is at 151 ave c, Nublu Classic is at 62 ave c.
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Stan Killian Biography
New York-based saxophonist and composer Stan Killian has released three critically acclaimed albums for Sunnyside Records. He’s performed in some of New York City’s top venues like The Iridium, Kitano, Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, Carnegie Hall as well as in the hardcore jazz venues like The 55 Bar, Jazz Gallery, Smalls Jazz Club and The Cellar Dog (formerly known as Fat Cat) He has also toured the U.S., Europe, Japan, Korea, China, and Mexico.
Born into a musical family, Killian hails from Texas and started performing professionally at age 15 with his father Joe, a jazz pianist and B3 organist who worked as a sideman with Sonny Sitt, Dexter Gordon, Don Wilkerson, and Jimmy Ford. Stan earned a B.A. in Music Performance at Texas State University in 2001 and studied with pianist James Polk, the Grammy nominated arranger and organist for Ray Charles. At the age of 21, he released his first album "Straight Ahead", a record of standards featuring his father, James Polk and trumpeter Martin Banks. In 2003, he formed Com Você a quintet with vocalist Margret Grebowicz and released "Candeias". After a two-year stay in Baltimore and Washington DC, Killian moved to New York City and recorded the eponymous "Com Você '' with Ben Monder, Scott Colley and Antonio Sanchez thus beginning his relationship with Sunnyside Records.
In 2009, with a new focus to perform his original music, Killian teamed up with Benito Gonzalez, Corcoran Holt and McClenty Hunter forming a powerful quartet which performed monthly at the legendary 55 Bar in New York. Adding the star power of Roy Hargrove, David Binney and Jeremy Pelt who were impressed with Killian’s work, they recorded “Unified” in 2011. A year later, the quartet expanded to quintet with guitarist Mike Moreno. After a year of gigs at The 55 Bar, "Evoke" was recorded and released in 2013 prompting tours of Asia, Mexico and the US. Both albums received stellar reviews in JazzTimes, Down Beat, All About Jazz among many other publications.
With veteran guitarist Paul Bollenback recently joining the band, Killian is set to release “Brooklyn Calling” in June. In addition to being an in-demand sideman, Killian continues to perform several times a month at the 55 Bar and hosts the Monday Night Jam at The Queens Brewery in Bushwick/Ridgewood, NY. He’s recently nominated for a Grammy for his performance on the track “I Believe” by Shine and The Moonbeams from the compilation “All One Tribe”.
Critical Praise for Unified
“Compositionally, Killian thinks about the direction of the tunes… Killian commands attention….”
-Jon Ross, Downbeat, August 2011 (3 Stars)
“His playing is smart but unpretentious, logical yet unrestrained. That kind of balance is hard to achieve in jazz”
-Brian Zimmerman, JazzTimes, May 3, 2011
“His is a voice filled with a mature gravitas that seems to emerge from a deeper sense of wisdom. His tone is resonant and echoes with mellow grandeur. His colors are rich and reflect the depths to which the tenor saxophone can reach, while still remaining accessible to encompass tender emotions. He plays in long, unbroken lines that weave in and out of lush melodies.”
-Raul D’Gama Rose, All About Jazz, June 18, 2011
“Stan Killian sounds a hopeful note for jazz's future. Killian is more precisely of the Dexter Gordon sound that carried through in Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter. Killian's debut album, Unified, is the stuff of the 1960s Blue Note factory: hard bop that's branching out into bossa nova, the New Thing, and groundbreaking harmonic language. It's great stuff that brings the past into the present, like any good jazz does.”
-Michael J. West, Washington City Paper, May 19, 2011
“It is clear that Stan Killian has a unique voice in a jazz economy filled with wannabes, copycats and frankly lesser players. Killian displays technique, sound and sensibilities that only a player with a diverse array of experiences could possess.”
-SaxShed.com
“If you appreciate the work of jazz greats like Coltrane and Davis, Stan Killian is a player you should get to know”
-Jon Neudorf, 4 stars, Sea of Tranquility May 5, 2011
“Texas-born Killian takes Sonny Rollins’ fluid approach, bulks it up and adds just a touch of that Texas tenor twang to it ... going up against a major figure like Hargrove, he proves that he belongs in that kind of company... [a] fully formed talent who has every right to be performing with the likes of Hargrove, Binney and Pelt"
-S. Victor Aaron Something Else Reviews, August 20, 2011
“He quickly reveals that he can play tempos others may not attempt.”
-SaxShed.com
“Unified is a good name for a great album and it’s one of the most perfectly balanced, thoughtfully produced jazz albums I’ve heard in a while... This intrepid saxophonist is a force to reckon with.”
-Nick Bewsey Jazz in Space, June 26, 2011
“With enough on the ball to attract some stellar leaders to lend a hand as sidemen, he knows his stuff and proves his point.”
-Midwest Record, May 27, 2011
“Stan Killian makes an impressive debut as a leader with Unified …. Recommended”
-4 stars, All Music May 5, 2011
“Killian can solo 'til the cows come home, but he has a strong sense of melody and the sure and certain knowledge that songs that swing are the backbone of jazz. With “Unified,” and selections such as “Twin Dark Mirrors” and “Window of Time,” Killian uses his considerable playing and writing chops to deliver music that challenges, but music that's accessible”.
-Jim Beal Jr., My San Antonio, May 27, 2011
“Killian's own contributions as lead musician/writer are stylish and engaging, and the core quartets on the album demonstrate their ability to stand alone as a musical ensemble, just as the album title suggests.”
-Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz, June 21, 2011
“This swerving style enables him to bend notes and approach melodic lines with hot harmonics that burn quietly, as the song lines unfurl, sometimes with much surprise. This keeps his entourage on edge and pushes them into reaching deeper into the pocket to come up with magical inventions, which keep the music alive and on edge... “Killian's music is a rich alchemy of abstract musical geometry and a concrete sense of the vivid narrative line that makes his muscular stories or musical paradigms accessible and even understood. But he also enlivens the music with a broad sense of wonder, as well as generous helpings of magic and mystery.”
-Raul D’Gama Rose, All About Jazz, June 18, 2011
Critical Praise for Evoke
“The title track [Evoke] is a ballad that allows for more room, Killian’s full throated tenor less aggressive and more contemplative.”
-John Ephland, Downbeat, July 2013
“Stan Killian is reminiscent of Jimmy Heath in that his compositions and tenor saxophone work make each other better.”
-Brit Robson, Jazztimes, June 24, 2013
“Killian is a joy to listen to, with a singular sound and texture. His tone is mostly smooth and even-tempered but he can blow with a streetwise grittiness or soar to the heavens. Killian’s familiarity with the members of his working band allows him to compose within their collective and individual strengths; the band, in turn, know exactly what Killian wants and the simpatico results in top notch music, which is what makes Evoke such a rewarding experience.”
-Terrell Holmes, NYC Jazz Record, May 2013 | No. 133
“Killian isn’t too well known outside of Manhattan, where he’s played regularly at [The] 55 Bar, but nobody who plays like this remains anonymous for very long. Check out Evoke.”
-Paul Weideman, Pasatiempo, April 26, 2013
“Tuneful Modes and Masterful Attack from Saxophonist Stan Killian:
Texas-bred, New York-based tenor saxophonist Stan Killian has a gift for melodic transparency that makes a solid springboard for soloing and individual contributions. Yet while the group and solo performances on Killian’s new album Evoke are terse and direct, the compositions are what really jump out at you- that and Killian’s playing. He has a clear, uncluttered tone and a refreshingly direct melodic sensibility, with a passion for modal vamps and keen ear for microtones that he bends seamlessly into the songs’ fabric. And what he’s doing isn’t simply bending blue notes- his attack has more in common with Joe Maneri than, say, Sonny Stitt.”
-Lucid Culture March 23, 2017
“The ability to make the rigorous seem casual and the unexpected seem logical- as well as Killian’s winning musicianship- are what seems to separate this disc from other merely solid mainstream recordings.”
-John Frederick Moore Jazziz, summer 2013
“Tenor Saxist and composer Stan Killian fronts a well rounded post bop quintet on this collection of well constructed and arranged originals… The delightful title track mixes piano and guitar voicings in a way that resembles Japanese folk music, while “Echolalic” has Moreno’s notes resemble droplets of dew. Well thought out and delivered. Satisfying like a 4 course meal.”
-George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly, June 13, 2013
“As a player, Killian seems destined to join the ranks of jazz greats, but you don’t need to be a jazz critic to appreciate how good Killian is. When I reviewed Unified, I called Killian “a force to reckon with,” and the music and playing on this current collection continues to show that Killian is a saxophonist and composer who’s going places.”
-Nick Bewsey, ICON Magazine, June 2013
“O's Notes: Stan plays tenor sax and composed all of the music for Evoke. He also assembled a strong band with guitarist Mike Moreno, Benito Gonzalez (p), Corcoran Holt (b) and drummer McClenty Hunter. The program could be classified as modern jazz or fusion and either way it has soothing, cool characteristics. Lead lines are shared between Moreno, Gonzalez and Killian unselfishly. They cook on the burners like "Observation" and swing on "Hindu" and "Beekman", just a few of the gems.”
- O’s Place, ¾, Evoke, May 2013
Read MoreBorn into a musical family, Killian hails from Texas and started performing professionally at age 15 with his father Joe, a jazz pianist and B3 organist who worked as a sideman with Sonny Sitt, Dexter Gordon, Don Wilkerson, and Jimmy Ford. Stan earned a B.A. in Music Performance at Texas State University in 2001 and studied with pianist James Polk, the Grammy nominated arranger and organist for Ray Charles. At the age of 21, he released his first album "Straight Ahead", a record of standards featuring his father, James Polk and trumpeter Martin Banks. In 2003, he formed Com Você a quintet with vocalist Margret Grebowicz and released "Candeias". After a two-year stay in Baltimore and Washington DC, Killian moved to New York City and recorded the eponymous "Com Você '' with Ben Monder, Scott Colley and Antonio Sanchez thus beginning his relationship with Sunnyside Records.
In 2009, with a new focus to perform his original music, Killian teamed up with Benito Gonzalez, Corcoran Holt and McClenty Hunter forming a powerful quartet which performed monthly at the legendary 55 Bar in New York. Adding the star power of Roy Hargrove, David Binney and Jeremy Pelt who were impressed with Killian’s work, they recorded “Unified” in 2011. A year later, the quartet expanded to quintet with guitarist Mike Moreno. After a year of gigs at The 55 Bar, "Evoke" was recorded and released in 2013 prompting tours of Asia, Mexico and the US. Both albums received stellar reviews in JazzTimes, Down Beat, All About Jazz among many other publications.
With veteran guitarist Paul Bollenback recently joining the band, Killian is set to release “Brooklyn Calling” in June. In addition to being an in-demand sideman, Killian continues to perform several times a month at the 55 Bar and hosts the Monday Night Jam at The Queens Brewery in Bushwick/Ridgewood, NY. He’s recently nominated for a Grammy for his performance on the track “I Believe” by Shine and The Moonbeams from the compilation “All One Tribe”.
Critical Praise for Unified
“Compositionally, Killian thinks about the direction of the tunes… Killian commands attention….”
-Jon Ross, Downbeat, August 2011 (3 Stars)
“His playing is smart but unpretentious, logical yet unrestrained. That kind of balance is hard to achieve in jazz”
-Brian Zimmerman, JazzTimes, May 3, 2011
“His is a voice filled with a mature gravitas that seems to emerge from a deeper sense of wisdom. His tone is resonant and echoes with mellow grandeur. His colors are rich and reflect the depths to which the tenor saxophone can reach, while still remaining accessible to encompass tender emotions. He plays in long, unbroken lines that weave in and out of lush melodies.”
-Raul D’Gama Rose, All About Jazz, June 18, 2011
“Stan Killian sounds a hopeful note for jazz's future. Killian is more precisely of the Dexter Gordon sound that carried through in Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter. Killian's debut album, Unified, is the stuff of the 1960s Blue Note factory: hard bop that's branching out into bossa nova, the New Thing, and groundbreaking harmonic language. It's great stuff that brings the past into the present, like any good jazz does.”
-Michael J. West, Washington City Paper, May 19, 2011
“It is clear that Stan Killian has a unique voice in a jazz economy filled with wannabes, copycats and frankly lesser players. Killian displays technique, sound and sensibilities that only a player with a diverse array of experiences could possess.”
-SaxShed.com
“If you appreciate the work of jazz greats like Coltrane and Davis, Stan Killian is a player you should get to know”
-Jon Neudorf, 4 stars, Sea of Tranquility May 5, 2011
“Texas-born Killian takes Sonny Rollins’ fluid approach, bulks it up and adds just a touch of that Texas tenor twang to it ... going up against a major figure like Hargrove, he proves that he belongs in that kind of company... [a] fully formed talent who has every right to be performing with the likes of Hargrove, Binney and Pelt"
-S. Victor Aaron Something Else Reviews, August 20, 2011
“He quickly reveals that he can play tempos others may not attempt.”
-SaxShed.com
“Unified is a good name for a great album and it’s one of the most perfectly balanced, thoughtfully produced jazz albums I’ve heard in a while... This intrepid saxophonist is a force to reckon with.”
-Nick Bewsey Jazz in Space, June 26, 2011
“With enough on the ball to attract some stellar leaders to lend a hand as sidemen, he knows his stuff and proves his point.”
-Midwest Record, May 27, 2011
“Stan Killian makes an impressive debut as a leader with Unified …. Recommended”
-4 stars, All Music May 5, 2011
“Killian can solo 'til the cows come home, but he has a strong sense of melody and the sure and certain knowledge that songs that swing are the backbone of jazz. With “Unified,” and selections such as “Twin Dark Mirrors” and “Window of Time,” Killian uses his considerable playing and writing chops to deliver music that challenges, but music that's accessible”.
-Jim Beal Jr., My San Antonio, May 27, 2011
“Killian's own contributions as lead musician/writer are stylish and engaging, and the core quartets on the album demonstrate their ability to stand alone as a musical ensemble, just as the album title suggests.”
-Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz, June 21, 2011
“This swerving style enables him to bend notes and approach melodic lines with hot harmonics that burn quietly, as the song lines unfurl, sometimes with much surprise. This keeps his entourage on edge and pushes them into reaching deeper into the pocket to come up with magical inventions, which keep the music alive and on edge... “Killian's music is a rich alchemy of abstract musical geometry and a concrete sense of the vivid narrative line that makes his muscular stories or musical paradigms accessible and even understood. But he also enlivens the music with a broad sense of wonder, as well as generous helpings of magic and mystery.”
-Raul D’Gama Rose, All About Jazz, June 18, 2011
Critical Praise for Evoke
“The title track [Evoke] is a ballad that allows for more room, Killian’s full throated tenor less aggressive and more contemplative.”
-John Ephland, Downbeat, July 2013
“Stan Killian is reminiscent of Jimmy Heath in that his compositions and tenor saxophone work make each other better.”
-Brit Robson, Jazztimes, June 24, 2013
“Killian is a joy to listen to, with a singular sound and texture. His tone is mostly smooth and even-tempered but he can blow with a streetwise grittiness or soar to the heavens. Killian’s familiarity with the members of his working band allows him to compose within their collective and individual strengths; the band, in turn, know exactly what Killian wants and the simpatico results in top notch music, which is what makes Evoke such a rewarding experience.”
-Terrell Holmes, NYC Jazz Record, May 2013 | No. 133
“Killian isn’t too well known outside of Manhattan, where he’s played regularly at [The] 55 Bar, but nobody who plays like this remains anonymous for very long. Check out Evoke.”
-Paul Weideman, Pasatiempo, April 26, 2013
“Tuneful Modes and Masterful Attack from Saxophonist Stan Killian:
Texas-bred, New York-based tenor saxophonist Stan Killian has a gift for melodic transparency that makes a solid springboard for soloing and individual contributions. Yet while the group and solo performances on Killian’s new album Evoke are terse and direct, the compositions are what really jump out at you- that and Killian’s playing. He has a clear, uncluttered tone and a refreshingly direct melodic sensibility, with a passion for modal vamps and keen ear for microtones that he bends seamlessly into the songs’ fabric. And what he’s doing isn’t simply bending blue notes- his attack has more in common with Joe Maneri than, say, Sonny Stitt.”
-Lucid Culture March 23, 2017
“The ability to make the rigorous seem casual and the unexpected seem logical- as well as Killian’s winning musicianship- are what seems to separate this disc from other merely solid mainstream recordings.”
-John Frederick Moore Jazziz, summer 2013
“Tenor Saxist and composer Stan Killian fronts a well rounded post bop quintet on this collection of well constructed and arranged originals… The delightful title track mixes piano and guitar voicings in a way that resembles Japanese folk music, while “Echolalic” has Moreno’s notes resemble droplets of dew. Well thought out and delivered. Satisfying like a 4 course meal.”
-George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly, June 13, 2013
“As a player, Killian seems destined to join the ranks of jazz greats, but you don’t need to be a jazz critic to appreciate how good Killian is. When I reviewed Unified, I called Killian “a force to reckon with,” and the music and playing on this current collection continues to show that Killian is a saxophonist and composer who’s going places.”
-Nick Bewsey, ICON Magazine, June 2013
“O's Notes: Stan plays tenor sax and composed all of the music for Evoke. He also assembled a strong band with guitarist Mike Moreno, Benito Gonzalez (p), Corcoran Holt (b) and drummer McClenty Hunter. The program could be classified as modern jazz or fusion and either way it has soothing, cool characteristics. Lead lines are shared between Moreno, Gonzalez and Killian unselfishly. They cook on the burners like "Observation" and swing on "Hindu" and "Beekman", just a few of the gems.”
- O’s Place, ¾, Evoke, May 2013
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