Imagined Savior Is Far Easier To Paint, The

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE: The imagined savior is far easier to paint
Blue Note, 2014

POSTMODERN JAZZ – That Oakland native Ambrose Akinmusire is a fearlessly inventive trumpeter was obvious from his Blue Note debut in 2011. But he’s in his own sonic world now. It’s a land of dark shadows and piercing beams of light, trumpet lines that seem to weave through four dimensions and yet stay grounded and compelling, and a shape-shifting band that stretches out from a straightforward quintet to incorporate strings and three brilliantly oblique vocalists. This is a stunning glimpse at the eclectic, mercurial future of jazz. Bravo.

Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11

1. 3:17 – impressionistic: unpredictable expressive trumpet over gentle waves
2. 6:25 – marching sextet: a dark vibe with abrupt, slippery tempo shifts
3. 6:29 – heartbeat pulse, mysterious indie-pop vox, strings, knotted tpt solo
4. 7:49 – rolling midtempo ballad, melancholy yet propulsive, excellent middle
5. 5:53 – relaxed postbop sextet over skittery beat; hopscotch solos
6. 4:14 – whoa: trumpet soars over string drone, gentle flute guides it along
7. 6:04 – curving Theo Bleckmann vocal; slides into the drifting aether
8. 3:55 – oblique modern: narrow-band melody, shifting drums, busy bass solo
9. 6:12 – slow, folksy atmosphere; gospel-like vocals by Cold Specks
10. 6:12 – two-keyboard dirge, child reads the names of deceased people
11. 5:14 – small trumpet & piano in silence; blooms into flowing quintet
12. 3:04 – AA not on this track: neoclassical flute & strings chug & spin
13. 16:28 – live: moody jazz moves thru several phases; rising trumpet early on, then cool sax & piano solos, trumpet thrusts skyward

[ Fo ] - 20 March 2014