Leap in
Stunning here from tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton at the get go and throughout this introduction to double bassist Elam Friedlander. Burton’s performance on ‘Air’ from Friedlander’s debut is the pick of an album which lands in a free-jazz style from the off on ‘Fire’ but settles into more of a carefully disciplined more centrist affair. The theme here on this April 2023 studio recording is fire, water, earth and air plus a briefer epilogue following.
Coltranian swagger
Burton needs little introduction. You may well know his work with the Mingus Big Band and his poise and swagger here are deeply impressive.
Perdomo solos beautifully on the opener
Quite a band then: Burton with Israel-born Friedlander whose style reminds me of Jasper Høiby’s or Avishai Cohen’s a little in places, pianist Luis Perdomo and drummer Eric McPherson (known for his work with Fred Hersch). Perdomo – a thrill working with Ravi Coltrane down the years – solos beautifully on the opener. The Venezuelan figured on Ravi gem In Flux in 2005.
Friedlander now based in New York is a graduate of the New School.
A great introduction to the bassist
My only caveat and small but is just on the sonics in a few places because the sound quality impact could be more immediate say at the quiet beginning of ‘Earth’ when the bass could have been captured a little more definitively at the mastering stage to draw a bit more detail out. But there’s a lot of joy here that transmits itself nevertheless pervasively.
And when you come to ‘Air’ you will see most of what I’m banging on about. Because Burton’s sense of freedom here – a wake up and smell the coffee sense of empowerment – contains a brightness in the sax line that he summons from deep within lifts you higher. How could it not?
MORE FROM MARLBANK
