Mellow and swinging overall. I liked the version of Herbie Hancock’s ‘The Sorcerer’ and the bouncing James Danderfer number ‘The Same Old You With the Same Old Blues’ most on a first listen.
Recorded in a Vancouver studio over a couple of days in the late spring this year, saxist Danderfer plays a big role on the boogaloo and swing flavoured album as co-producer too.
Star turn guest input is provided by the Hammond organ playing of Brian Charette. If you like Mike LeDonne then you will dig what Charette does here in equally intuitive and characterful fashion.
Other material includes saxist Steve Kaldestad’s ‘Equestrian Interlude’ an earlier small group version of which [above] appeared on 2022 album Live at Frankie’s Jazz Club.
There’s room too for waltzing Kaldestad tune ‘Shimmy!’ that goes back more than a decade and a half to Blow Up [above] on which the tune also figured.
Charette weaves in and out skilfully and does not over shadow proceedings too much. I liked his role on Danderfer samba ‘Oh Brother’ a lot.
Check out a recent, more brightly voiced, and just as appealing, version of the piece [above] that also appeared on the recent If Not Now.
MORE RECENT REVIEWS
John Beasley with the SWR Big Band, Invisible Piano, O-tone music ****
Currently performing through until Saturday – as a member of Unlimited Miles at the Birdland jazz club in New York along with Sean Jones, Marcus Strickland, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ben Williams and Terreon Gully – John Beasley on Invisible Piano is here in a big band album incarnation to be released in May which features originals…
Shalosh, What We Are Made Of, ACT ***
Covering Oasis, Muse and Aqua is not only a bit but a lot gimmicky. Otherwise beyond the purist baiting the trio continue doing what they have been accomplishing for a while. That is delivering accessible contemporary piano trio sounds as “invented” back in the late 1990s by the likes of e.s.t, The Bad Plus and…
The Bad Plus, Chris Potter, Craig Taborn, Barbican, City of London ****
Playing the music of the Keith Jarrett American Quartet on their farewell tour, The Bad Plus were on uncompromising kickass form.
