I like the phrase “complete musician”…now not everybody wants to be, or needs to be a “complete musician.” Joe Fiedler is a trombone virtuoso, well seasoned arranger, composer, band leader, sideman, conceptualist…and most importantly a sonic innovator..I’d call that a complete musician.

Let me preface this by saying that I have been playing music with Joe Fiedler for over     20 years, have played on his records, toured with him…so anything and everything I write comes from our mutual love of music…I also said I wouldn’t write piece by piece descriptive liner notes…well I guess the music had other ideas.

Journey to Bowerbird starts with a call to action…more than any other Big Sackbut album, “Portrait of Tito Matos” is a direct reference to Joe’s years of experience with Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta…the classic band that made trombones the sound of NY salsa music. The addition of Satoshi Takeishi brings a new level of rhythmic focus to the band. The first solo by Luis Bonilla is master class in trombone improvising…which leads to Joe Fiedler blowing the door wide open. Joe’s virtuosic language is so completely his own that there is (literally) no one else on the planet who could have played this.

“The Box” is a jigsaw puzzle of 6/8, folding in on itself…it features all 3 trombonists…a solo introduction by Fiedler that moves from plunger to multiphonics, Luis Bonilla’s solo with his butterball/atomic bomb tone lead into a short declaration by the masterful Ryan Keberle.

“Journey to Bowerbird” starts with Marcus Rojas doing what he does best…leading a journey into some of the most specific and challenging writing I've heard Joe create for this band. Joe’s playing has advanced into a new world of technical and sonic possibilities…as an old friend, and fellow brass player...this is encouraging. The triadic coda section is Ellingtonian in its imagination.

Having had the opportunity to play many of Joe's arrangements I can say that “Guiro Nuevo” is classic Fiedler arranging and composing. His voicings are singular and instantly recognizable, and when Joe starts improvising it completes the picture of a master musician who has created his own voice as an arranger, improvisor and trombonist.

The introduction to “Elements of Know” has the lushness of Clare Fischer, a wide voicing that is inviting to the ears. After this masterful writing Joe treats us to his solo trombone magic, a technique he has been developing in the last years (and much more profitable on the road). As with everything on this record, you can hear the continual evolution of Joe’s conception and technique. The straight mute solo is by Keberle and as with all the musicians, everything he plays follows in a compositional fashion. The tight harmonies on the outro tie it all up in a bow. The writing in this piece is a lesson in intent and badassness.

“Room 719” opened my ears with lush ballad writing…and Joe’s breathy human sound in trio with Marcus and Satoshi, builds into my favorite Fiedler solo on the record. The sound of the three trombones on the post solo writing is another highlight.

“Flexible Flyer” is named after a Roswell Rudd album…and features another beautiful jigsaw puzzle…this time in 7/4…the duet with Marcus and Luis is a beautiful example of brass mastery. Later Keberle’s solo covers the entire range of the bone…and Joe’s writing post solo broadens the aural vista…a treat for the ears.

“Kingston” opens with magic percussion into choral trombone writing and lush melodicisms. The amount of great writing on this record is inspiring…Joe is on a mission of trombone goodness! Keberle’s harmonic adventurousness shows why he is one of the most in demands players in NYC...followed by a classic Fiedler shout chorus and a sweet coda…brilliant architecture and writing.

“Go Get It” is what we used to call a swinging waltz…in my world this is a blues…it has all the joy and abandon of my favorite music, I can’t help but feel the influence of my good friend Ray Anderson on this…its a CELEBRATION of life…and Joe is making the most of it with four of the greatest musicians I have had the pleasure of knowing.

Listeners don’t need to know this…but I’ll tell you…the level of musicianship that goes into writing and then performing this music is of the highest scale. These four brass players have been refining their artistry and craft and ”band playing” for a long long time…the addition of Satoshi Takeshi to this long running group has added another level to their playing…his artistry is so high that he propels all the rhythms while still allowing the music to breathe in the way that the best brass ensembles can. It brings so much pleasure to see and hear my friends continue to evolve, create and surprise me…and I love a record that ends with a smile!

Steven Bernstein
March 2026