Reviewed: 2018-08-06
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: With spatial awareness, invigorating interplay and cross-conversational dialogue on the new disc, Lovano and Douglas project their respective strong artistic voices. Both in sound and improvisational approaches, the two offer fascinating contrasting and complementary sensibilities when they play in unison or intertwine improvisational lines. It’s the latter on which they engage the most; their passages tend to gambol around each other like sparring partners. As one takes the lead, the other often jabs their counterpart—pushing the conversational friction beyond rote hard-bop.
If You Like: Wayne Shorter, Eric Dolphy, Miles Davis, Booker Little
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
1/ Dream State (5:56) – sax & trumpet start in unison> midtempo jam> piano solo> midtempo jam> quick stop
*2/ Full Sun (5:06) – full band uptempo jam> piano/bass duet> sax solo> trumpet solo> uptempo jam> crescendo end
3/ Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum (6:03) – drums/horns star> midtempo jam morphs into wild pairings> sax solo> piano solo> midtempo jam> fade
*4/ Ups And Downs (6:52) – full band slow jam to start> sax solo> piano solo> slow jam> fade
*5/ The Corner Tavern (6:50) – drums start> uptempo jam> sax & trumpet trade solos> bass solo> piano solo> uptempo jam> quick fade
6/ Scandal (5:51) – horns start> slow jam> muted trumpet solo> sax solo> slow jam> slow fade
*7/ Juju (9:05) –drums start> midtempo jam> sax solo> midtempo jam> trumpet solo> midtempo jam mellows> piano solo> midtempo jam> crescendo end
8/ Mission Creep (6:18) – drums start> midtempo jam> trumpet solo> sax solo> piano solo> midtempo jamfade
*9/ Full Moon (8:06) – sax & trumpet start> slow jam> sax solo> slow jam> trumpet solo> slow jam> piano solo> slow jam like molasses slows to fade
**10/ High Noon (2:26) – drums start> uptempo jam> horns trade short solos> uptempo jam> quick stop
11/ Libra (4:16) – piano solo starts midtempo, then slows> slow jam like the tide moving in> fade