Reviewed: 2019-06-04
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Trombonist Lin seems to have his finger on the pulse of a jazz from a certain time, not so much the late ’50s as the early ’60s. He’s more Impulse! than Blue Note, less exploratory and more celebratory of the fences that have already been knocked down in advance of his arrival. Lin, who hails from New Orleans, has settled into this very specific sound on his new album. Lin reduces his “Lintet,” a large group of revolving musicians, to a spare quartet. With just four musicians on the stage, he creates a sound that actually opens up and expands into freer realmsIf you’re a fan of the jazz trombone as lead, you’ll admire the way Lin leads this quartet into a sometimes wild, but still carefully structured performance.
If You Like: JJ Johnson, Steve Davis, David “Fathead” Newman
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
1/ A Path To Understanding (4;38) – bass starts> uptempo jam> trombone solo> sax solo> uptempo jam> bass/drum duet to end
*2/ Celestial Being (5:34) – horns start big & brassy> bass solo> uptempo jam> trombone solo> sizzling sax solo> drum solo> uptempo jam> crescendo end
*3/ New Age, Old Ways (7:02) – drums start> midtempo jam with repetitive riff> bass solo> trombone solo> sax solo swings uptempo> bass/drums duet to fade
**4/ Akong (5:52) – trombone starts> slow jam> trombone solo> bass solo> slow jam> slow fade
***5/ Song Of The Amis (5:21) – drums start> fast tempo jam> stellar trombone solo> snaky sax solo starts to sizzle> bass solo> fast tempo jam> quick stop
**6/ TNT Theme (5:51) – trombone starts> uptempo jam> trombone solo> sax solo swings> rocking uptempo jam> brief drum solo> uptempo jam> crescendo end
7/ Red Label (7:32) – drums/bass start> slow jam> bass solo> trombone solo> sinuous sax solo> slow jam> slow fade
**8/ Mantis Shrimp (4:48) – horns start> rocking uptempo jam> sax solo> trombone solo> uptempo jam with drum fills> crescendo end