Review #1 was a classic, so we thought we'd go with something more contemporary for #2. So here it is, 'Victory!' from one of the very best tenor sax players out there right now, JD Allen.
Album number three for JD Allen’s trio, with
this being his fifth overall as leader, and if previous offerings hadn’t
already convinced of the tight groups superior musicality, then ‘Victory!’
surely is just that – a winningly melodic and exhilaratingly unique statement that
highlights both its leaders crystal clear focus and his ultimately warm and growing
charm.
While many would like to make easy
comparisons between Allen and famous looming shadows like John Coltrane, or perhaps more so Sonny Rollins
(who for many near-almost owns the sax-bass-drums trio format), they would be
entirely wrong. Throughout ‘Victory!’ Allen plays with lean muscularity and
keeps things direct, favouring an album made up of a larger number of concise
pieces, with most falling under the four minute mark and many even coming in
less than three minutes.
His cohorts too, bassist Gregg August and
drummer Rudy Royston, play with muscle and skill, and keep things punchy and
brief. But most importantly all three men work together brilliantly to form one
very tight and deftly musical group. Each player contributes their individual
personalities to the group effort and help ensure that each statement delivers
a clear intense burst before moving onto something else new.
Here we get sheer unadulterated swing, more
groove-based numbers and even some Eastern-leaning sounds that all reference
some of the best of the past tradition but makes it all the trio’s own. Best of
all though, we get a superb line in thick smokily seductive mood music that’s
sure to become his signature sound – or at least one of many.
Crucially too, Allen’s two strongest assets
are here in absolute abundance; his skillful and hook-laden writing, and that
big beautiful tenor tone. And they gel together here perfectly.
Many artists, and especially those in the
jazz field, often enjoy changing or developing their sound through
reconfiguring, expanding or even shrinking their line-ups, and while that can
frequently yield strong results, sometimes it does the exact opposite. The best
developments though can sometimes be the ones that come through evolving and
enriching a proven formula. And that is what Allen is clearly doing here. His most-favoured
unit has developed, and continues to build a unique identity that has only gone
from strength to strength and surely will only get better with time. Without a
doubt ‘Victory!’ is the strongest offering yet from one of the strongest players
out there right now.
****
No comments:
Post a Comment