Tag: Jared Gold

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The Lucid Culture blog provides insight into Jared Gold’s new CD “Out of Line”….

lucidculture.wordpress.com

Remember that scene in American Splendor where Harvey opens the review copy of the album he’s just received in the mail, looks at it and then says, glumly, “Oh. Another organ-and-tenor record?” These days, organ-and-tenor records don’t grow on trees anymore, and this one’s hardly ordinary. The title of organist Jared Gold’s third and latest album Out of Line seems to be tongue-in-cheek because there’s a definite continuity here – he really sets a mood and keeps it going. From the wicked minor-key soul riff of the opening track to a barely recognizable soul-infused, Grant Green/Jimmy Smith style version of the old bubblegum pop hit La-La Means I Love You, he and the band here – Chris Cheek on tenor sax, Dave Stryker on guitar and Mark Ferber on drums – establish a warm, nocturnal, retro 60s groove and stay with it.

Preachin,’ a matter-of-factly midtempo soul/blues tune has Stryker casual and sometimes wry, followed by similarly genial bluesiness by Gold. The title track is a subtle bossa shuffle, Gold sun-speckled and summery yet hinting at unease. Their version of Stevie Wonder’s You Haven’t Done Nothin’ is more of a blues-tinted slink than straight-up funk, Stryker’s wah guitar chilling in the back, Gold bringing a late 60s psychedelic chordal feel to the groove. The pretty ballad It Is Well works a gentle handoff from Cheek to Gold, who’s really in an atmospheric, psychedelic mood by now. They follow that with the laid-back, swinging shuffle Down South, both Stryker and Gold lighting up the ambience with incisive, vibrant solos. The Stone Age, a jazzier take on a Bill Withers-style groove, takes it up as high as they get on this album. Stryker raises his lighter amiably, Cheek sails off into the clouds and Gold finally punches out some gritty Jimmy McGriff-style funk.

They close with an updated, funkified version of Skylark. This is a great late-night disc with an especially intimate feel (the organ’s Leslie speaker has been close-miked: you can actually hear Gold’s fingers moving nimbly across the keys). It’s out now on Posi-Tone, who seem to have a franchise on retro lately.

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Audiophile Audition’s review for Jared Gold “Out of Line”……

www.audaud.com

Jared Gold – Out Of Line – Posi-Tone Records PR8067, 50:54 ****½:
(Jared Gold – organ; Chris Cheek – saxophone; Dave Stryker – guitar; Mark Ferber – drums)

Jared Gold is a big part of the jazz organ resurrection. Influences such as Jack McDuff, Larry Young and Don Patterson, have shaped a distinctive approach to his music. In the place of pedestrian blues and R & B riffs, he has shaped a cerebral bond with both compositional and auditory themes. This flexibility has led to work with John Abercrombie, Bill Goodwin, Ed Stryker, Ralph Peterson, Randy Napoleon and Dave Stryker, who would form and organ trio with Gold and Tony Reedus. Their album, The Chaser, received critical acclaim and led to recording sessions with Randy Napoleon, Avi Rothbard Trio, William Ash Trio, and the Dan Pratt Organ Quartet. Signed to the cutting-edge label, Posi-Tone Records, he recorded both Solids and Stripes, and Supersonic, emerging as a promising bandleader and arranger.

With Out Of Line, Gold has traversed the jazz landscape with lyrical expression and a dexterous touch. Utilizing a basic trio format (with Dave Stryker on guitar, and Mark Ferber on drums), the addition of saxophonist, Chris Cheek has impacted the overall tone. The opening track, Hank Mobley’s “An Aperitif” percolates with a dazzling organ solo, leading into a ferocious sax run that culminates in a dual line flourish that closes the piece. “The Stone Age’ continues the furious dynamic between sax and organ, with spontaneity and dissonance. An up tempo version of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark” uses pace and biting organ lines that breathe new life into this standard.
Gold’s originality surfaces on two R & B covers. Rather than throw a funky groove template at “You Haven’t Done Nothin’ Yet”, the organ delves into the melody, adding a jazz sensibility with both rhythm and atmospheric coloration. A gospel introduction and dual lead with guitar on “La-La (Means I Love You)” give an unexpected poignancy to a soul ballad. Perhaps the most rousing track is “Preachin”. With its evocative southern influence, the depth of Gold’s songwriting and peerless elegance is highlighted. Another Gold composition, “It Is Well” displays an ethereal hymn-like modality. The understated delivery and brooding introspection are compelling.

Out Of Line is a bona fide jazz statement that will enliven any record collection.

TrackList: An Aperitif; Preachin’ Out Of Line; You Haven’t Done Nothin’ It Is Well; Down South; The Stone Age; La-La (Means I Love You); Skylark.

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The Burning Amubulance reviews the new Jared Gold “Out of Line” CD….

http://burningambulance.com

Jared Gold is a young organist with a fondness for old soul; in addition to five originals, a Hank Mobley tune (“An Aperitif”) and a Hoagy Carmichael number to close (“Skylark”), this disc includes versions of Stevie Wonder‘s “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” and the Delfonics‘ “La-La (Means I Love You).” What this means in practice is that the tracks occasionally lean heavily on their main melodies. Given the choice between this option and the other one normally exercised by organ-jazz groups—tracks where the songs are barely sketches, nothing but blues riffs on which endless honk-and-blare choruses can be blown/pumped out—I’ll take it. He’s backed by a capable guitarist (Dave Stryker) and drummer (Mark Ferber), and saxophonist Chris Cheek makes the most of his solo slots, as should be expected. Posi-Tone is probably my favorite straightahead jazz label right now, and this is a solid addition to their catalog. Check it out; it’ll make an early autumn afternoon very enjoyable indeed. (I liked Gold’s 2009 album Supersonic, too, and I enjoyed his playing and Ferber’s on Dan Pratt‘s Toe the Line, which I reviewed here back in May.)

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Glide Magazine reviews “Out With It” and “Supersonic”…

www.glidemagazine.com

Jared Gold/ Supersonic (Posi-Tone): Emphatically traditional, the keyboardist seems fiercely loyal to the sound of a guitar drums and Hammond B-3 organ trio as first conceived by Jimmy Smith. Yet Gold and company don’t sound static or academic anywhere on this CD, The Beatles: “In My Life” included. On the contrary, there’s a freshness in their playing, the sound  of musicians discovering the the beauty and deceptive simplicity of a classy jazz sound. it’s gratifying to hear the contemporary likes of  Lennon/McCartney compositions set in the context of jazz tradition, boldly rendered as a means of giving the musicians a workout.

David Ashkenazy/ Out With It (Posi-Tone): While the version “I Want You” here is an intense tour de force, David Ashkenazy and company jump right into action on this album with ad adventurous run through of Wayne Shorter’s “Children of the Night.” Covering Stephen Foster as well as Lennon/McCartney is further testament to an element of courage that permeates this entire effort. The inclusion of Beatles material lives up to its durability and flexibility as well as its mainstream fame, during instrumental arrangements develop their own character.

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Another AAJ piece on Jared Gold “Out Of Line”…

www.allaboutjazz.com

The age of the classic chitlin’ circuit organ combo passed away with Jimmy Smith in 2005. Regardless, greasy-spoon organ jazz is still frequently summoned, if only in approximate form, beating the alternative of no new mainstream B3 music at all. New Yorker Jared Gold tore things up on hisSupersonic (Posi-Tone, 2009) and Dan Pratt’s Toe The Line (Posi-Tone Records, 2010), and continues to do so on Out of Line.

And how can an album go wrong when initiated with a Hank Mobley tune—”An Aperitif,” no less—from Mobley’s 1967 Third Season (Blue Note). Like “Funk In A Deep Freeze,” “An Aperitif” is devilishly complex hard bop. Gold’s version is sleek, low calorie funk buoyed by his bass-finding feet.Chris Cheek blows full- throated tenor with Dave Stryker’s fat chording and head work. Cheek’s solo has more than a little vertical John Coltranewithout the saxophone icon’s harshness. The performance is precision-fast and note-accurate, and swings magnetically.

 

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Listener’s Notes – From the CD Stack: Gold, DPOQ….

http://markehayes.blogspot.com/2010/08/listeners-notes-from-cd-stack-gold-dpoq.html

Listener’s Notes – From the CD Stack: Gold, DPOQ

by Mark E Hayes
It’s time to pick my favorites from the stack of CD’s that’s been piling up over the summer.  Week-to-week, I receive an awful lot of music to review, so here’s the deal.  Any new release gets a quick hearing on the stereo in the study, which might lead to a full rip onto my laptop, which is followed by a sync to my iPod.  If a new release makes it to the iPod, it means I’m going to be listening to it everywhere.
The one album I queued up most often was organist Jared Gold’s Supersonic (Positone 2010). Gold — the musician, NOT the goth fashion designer— has played with Dan Pratt, Randy Napoleon, and Avi Rothbard, but many people will likely know Gold’s work from guitarist Mark Stryker’s excellent 2007 release, The Chaser.  On Supersonic, Gold roots himself in the classic organ trio combo, with Ed Cherry on guitar and McClenty Hunter on drums.  Every track on the album has its rewards: uptempo numbers are clever and funky, ballads are cool and soulful, and interplay between band members is balanced. I’m sure I’m not alone in my deep appreciation of the opening track, a brisk reworking of John Sebastian’s theme from Welcome Back, Kotter. With an opening like that, Supersonic grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go.  A thoroughly groovy time.

Gold provides support in the second release from the Dan Pratt Organ Quartet, Toe The Line (Positone 2010) , a thoroughly confident second release from the saxophonist’s group, which is rounded out by trombonist Alan Ferber and drummer Mark Ferber.  Powerful and precise, both Pratt and Alan Ferber carry every tune forward with a clear sense of working together, then playing off each other when the moment calls for it.  Gold and Mark Ferber fill the remaining sonic space masterfully — no easy task given the challenging nature of Pratt’s compositions.  The excellent playing aside, what is most remarkable about Toe The Line is the writing.  Aside from the Ellington tune, “The Star Crossed Lovers,” every song is a Pratt composition.  From the angular bebop opening of “Minor Procedure,” to the Monk-ish “Doppelganger,” to the whimsical “Uncle Underpants,”  and to the souful, gorgeous “After,” Pratt has put together a range of songs that leaves little doubt as to the prowess of his songwriting skills. Toe The Line gets better each time you listen — on the strength of the songs.

 

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Traditional jazz gets a modern sound.

www.audaud.com

Dan Pratt Organ Quartet – Toe the Line – Posi-Tone Records PR8059, 59:31 ****:

(Dan Pratt, tenor saxophone; Alan Ferber, trombone; Jared Gold, Hammond B3 Organ;  Mark Ferber, drums)

Dan Pratt has rapidly established himself as a force in the modern jazz movement. In high school, he performed with the Monterey Jazz Festival High School Band, and then attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston. The prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute would also help in developing his performance and composition skills. He has become a fixture in the burgeoning Brooklyn, New York jazz scene, playing with a wide array of accomplished musicians. The Dan Pratt Quartet was formed in 2001.

The latest offering, Toe The Line, is an ambitious, creative step in the maturation of this artist. The nine tacks, including eight original pieces, emphasize the synergy of the quartet, while exploring various sounds, melody and rhythm shifts, and improvisation. The members are able to experiment with different tones and playing styles.

On the opening track, “Houdini”, the drum and organ lay down a groove beat, as the saxophone and trombone play dual lead, and swap solos. There is a sophisticated take on the Ellington-Strayhorn “Star Crossed Lovers” that showcases the two horns in a soft counterpoint, moving into a bluesy ballad, with a whimsical organ background.  Jared Gold’s organ play is featured in many different styles, allowing him to rise to the level of the writing.  He lays down an incandescent solo on the title track, “Toe The Line”, and shows a funky groove feel on “Wanderlust”, and “Minor Procedure”.  Mark Ferber’s drumming is integral in the cohesion of the sound, and his solo on “Uncle Underpants” delivers a ferocious backbeat.

Pratt’s saxophone work is textured on every song. He manages to trade riffs with trombonist, Alan Ferber in a seamless manner. On the hard bop Doppleganger there are energized and smooth trombone solos. The final song, “After”, is a soulful and moody ballad, with a notable saxophone opening solo and church organ accompaniment. The song builds to a harmonious, gospel crescendo that finds the group at its best, again.

TrackList: Houdini; Minor Procedure; Wanderlust; Doppelganger, Star Crossed Lovers; Toe The Line; Stoic; Uncle Underpants; After.

— Robbie Gerson

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31 Days Of Album Reviews #23: Dan Pratt Organ Quartet, “Toe The Line”

burningambulance.wordpress.com

DAN PRATT ORGAN QUARTET

Toe the Line (Posi-Tone)

Tenor saxophonist Dan Pratt has been leading this group for close to a decade; its debut CD,Springloaded, was released in 2003. Toe the Line is the quartet’s first CD on Posi-Tone, a retro-ish label I’ve started to really admire. They focus their attention on groups that mix modernity and classicism, that swing hard and have a feel for the blues but demonstrate a willingness—and sometimes an eagerness—to stretch the boundaries of post-bop. The result is a catalog full of unassuming gems like this one.

In addition to Pratt, this quartet features Alan Ferber on trombone, Jared Gold on organ and Mark Ferber on drums. The absence of a bass player gives the music a jumpy, not-quite-anchored feel that’s emphasized by Ferber’s drums, which are mixed with lots of room sound and a sharply ringing snare. Pratt and Ferber are a tightly bonded team, charging through melodic heads and offering each other intuitive harmonic support. The unison lines of “Doppelgänger,” with Ferber meeting Pratt’s saxophone at the bottom of the trombone’s range, are hypnotic and gripping. Gold’s organ is occasionally more hockey-rink than roadhouse, but at least he’s not a psychedelic explorer like Larry Young; he chugs along beneath the horns, letting them do most of the work and only occasionally erupting. His florid, half-gospel/half-soap opera performance on the ballad “The Star-Crossed Lovers” can’t be overlooked, though, and he totally dominates the title track. And on the closing “After,” which begins with an unaccompanied solo from Pratt, everyone sinks knee-deep into passionate, churchy blowing.

This is a really solid, hard-grooving album featuring excellent performances by four guys who’ve had a long while to get to know each other and figure out not only each player’s individual strengths, but how to combine those in surprising and impressive ways. Toe the Line does anything but. Highly recommended.

1. Do I foresee myself listening to this record again? Oh, yeah.

2. Should you buy this record? Absolutely.

 

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Ralph Bowen, Dan Pratt, Brandon Wright: Posi-Tone strikes gold again

By J Hunter

Traditional jazz does not have to be boring. It does not have to be staid, or re-fried or adhere to a formula concocted in a New Orleans barroom over nine decades ago. A lot of the large labels don’t get that. Fortunately, the creative triumvirate at Posi-Tone Records not only understands this concept, but they practice it in a big way. The label closed out 2009 with solid efforts by saxman Wayne Escoffery with Uptown and drummer David Ashkenazy with Out With It, and they’ve hit the ground running in 2010 with three more great releases.

bowen album coverRalph Bowen
Due Reverence
Posi-Tone Records
2010

Tribute discs have long been thick on the ground in jazz. Compatriots remember a colleague who has gone, and new generations give respect to the legends that showed them the way. But not all inspiration comes from giants; sometimes it’s a teacher, or even a fellow countryman who plays the same instrument but hasn’t got a wing in the hall of fame. The latter categories are the building blocks tenor man Ralph Bowen uses to construct Due Reverence.

The opener, “Less Is More,” begins with guitarist Adam Rogers in the clear, playing beautifully meditative lines that reflect the disc’s title. Bowen and bassist John Patitucci ease themselves into the picture, with Patitucci bowing underneath Bowen’s rich melody line. “Less” crystallizes into a bossa when drummer Antonio Sanchez completes the scene, but the bossa goes modern as Bowen slowly turns up the temperature. He doesn’t blow wild, but his passion for his subject is undeniable, as is the intention in his tenor. Rogers and the rhythm section inject some late-night groove into the final section, proving once again that Rogers can do a lot more than just blow people’s eardrums out with his electric wizardry.

There are only five tracks on Reverence, but when the subject is the people who helped form a career, five can be all that’s needed. Bowen’s finger-snapping blues, “Phil-Osophy,” is named for clarinetist Phil Nimmons, a 1930s bandleader and fellow Canadian, while the tasty “Mr. Scott” and the coda, “Points Encountered,” are respectively dedicated to two of Bowen’s instructors at Rutgers. “Less” was written for guitarist Ted Dunbar, one of the first jazz professors at that institution, and the high-flying “This One’s For Bob” goes out to one of Bowen’s many employers, tenor wizard Bob Mintzer. But once again, the fame of a subject is not what matters here.

What does matter (and what most definitely impresses) is Bowen’s love for each of his subjects. All five tracks are long-form pieces that exude purpose and commitment as each character is “fleshed out” by Bowen and his partners. Trumpeter Sean Jones joins the front line on “Scott,” goosing up the energy with his pure, clean tone as he offers Bowen a shining harmonic foil. The track shows the album might have been even livelier as a quintet date. But then, Due Reverence might not have been as personal—or as eloquent—as it is.

Dan Pratt Organ Quartet
Toe The Line
Posi-Tone Records
2010

Reedman Dan Pratt may be a product of northern California’s wine country, but there’s nothing mellow about the music he’s making. Along with membership in about five New York City big bands, this alumnus of the Monterey Jazz Festival’s High School All-Star Band is also part of the mushrooming music scene on the Brooklyn side of the East River. There’s a real swagger to the jazz coming out of Brooklyn nowadays, and that swagger is one of the reasons why Toe The Line works like a charm.

The off-time boogie, “Houdini,” gives this album a beginning as unique as Pratt’s front-line sound. Trombonist Alan Ferber counters Pratt’s opening melody while Jared Gold’s organ lays the foundation even as it helps lift Pratt’s first solo to the next level. Gold’s fills are as solid as his last name, and Pratt’s lines are juicy, unvarnished and laced with a smoky R&B flavor that’s nothing but fun. Ferber’s following solo keeps the direction but changes the harmonic, making it deeper and rounder. When he and Pratt join up on the head, they launch dueling musical monologues that infuse the closing with a wonderful complexity.

Gold’s own Supersonic (Posi-Tone, 2009) showed potential, but suffered from a shortage of engaging material. Without the burden of leadership, Gold gets down and plays his tail off on Toe The Line. He slashes as he runs on the breakneck “Minor Procedure,” throws John Medeski-like color splashes onto “Wanderlust,” and changes the direction of Pratt’s take on Duke Ellington’s “Star-Crossed Lovers” by supplanting the initial romantic mood with a hopping urban vibe. Ferber’s exploration on “Doppelgänger” is both aggressive and off-kilter, adding to the skewed atmosphere of Pratt’s composition. Conversely, Ferber’s solo on the funked-out “Uncle Underpants” eschews introspection in favor of putting the pedal to the metal.

Put simply, Pratt and Ferber love to “fight,” and take multiple opportunities to throw musical punches at each other in a riveting variation of the Afro-Brazilian dance discipline capoeira. After all the battles and the boogie, the whole quartet comes together for the gospel-flavored blues coda, “After.” It’s a warm tribute to the late Bob Pratt, but while the music is certainly reverent, the passion that fuels the piece (and Pratt’s solo in particular) still shows the swagger that makes Toe The Line great on so many levels.

Brandon Wright
Boiling Point
Posi-Tone Records
2010

Putting veteran musicians behind the subject of a maiden recording can actually attract negative questions. Can the rookie match the quality these heavy players are known for producing? More importantly, were the heavies brought in to mask the rookie’s deficiencies? Fortunately the answers are “Yes” and “No”—in that order—when it comes to Boiling Point, tenor man Brandon Wright’s recording debut.

The collective résumé of Wright’s backup band—(pianist David Kikoski, drummer Matt Wilson, bassist Hans Glawischnig and trumpeter Alex Sipiagin)—would fill several pages, but if Wright was intimidated, there’s no sign of it on the scorching opener, “Free Man.” After a quick call-and-answer with Sipiagin, Wright takes off like a bird for the high end of the tenor’s register. His lines are hot even as they maintain a linear direction, and his lyrical sense is spot-on as Kikoski’s comps and fills offer fine counterpoint. When it’s the pianist’s turn, there’s no transition point from support to soloist—Kikoski simply kicks the comp into a completely different gear and steps to the front like he owns it…which he does for the balance of his solo.

Wright’s chemistry with Kikoski is explosive, with a vibe that’s more colleague-to-colleague than teacher-to-student. Their duet on the first section of Jimmy van Heusen’s “Here’s That Rainy Day” is sensational, and is a logical extension of Kikoski’s pensive in-the-clear opening. Kikoski’s solos on the bossa-bopper, “Castaway,” and “Odd Man Out,” a track reminiscent of trumpeter Miles Davis, are both inspired and inspiring, and Kikoski lays the groundwork for almost every tune on Boiling Point, setting up vamps and foundation figures that are perfect outlet passes for Wright’s melodies. He even helps Wright morph Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song” into a waltz evoking pianist Bill Evans, and that’s a tall, tall order.

Wilson and Glawischnig stay primarily in the background, but that doesn’t mean they’re wallflowers. Wilson is one of the most mesmerizing drummers in jazz, and it’s worth wearing headphones to fully experience his dynamic fills. Glawischnig’s resonant lines snake around Wright on the forlorn “Drift,” and Glawischnig and Kikoski play dueling counters on “Rainy Day.” While Sipiagin provides a pure, bright tone and solid harmony on the melodies, his solos frequently fall short next to Kikoski’s bursting fills. On the other hand, Wright more than holds his own with the veterans, making Boiling Point a satisfying debut and setting a fine baseline for all of Wright’s future recordings.

Tracks and Personnel

Due Reverence

Tracks: Less Is More; This One’s For Bob; Phil-Osophy; Mr. Scott; Points Encountered.

Personnel: Ralph Bowen: tenor sax; Adam Rogers: guitar; John Patitucci: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums; Sean Jones: trumpet (4).

Toe The Line

Tracks: Houdini; Minor Procedure; Wanderlust; Doppelgänger; Star-Crossed Lovers; Toe The Line; Stoic; Uncle Underpants; After.

Personnel: Dan Pratt: tenor sax; Alan Ferber; trombone; Jared Gold: organ; Mark Ferber: drums.

Boiling Point

Tracks: Free Man; Drift; Odd Man out; Boiling Point; Here’s That Rainy Day; Castaway; Interstate Love Song; You’re My Everything.

Personnel: Brandon Wright: tenor sax; Alex Sipiagin: trumpet; David Kikoski: piano; Hans Glawischnig: bass; Matt Wilson: drums.

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A nice AAJ piece featuring reviews of our latest Organ Jazz releases: Wayne Escoffery “Uptown” and the Dan Pratt Organ Quartet “Toe the Line”….

www.allaboutjazz.com

The State of Organ Jazz 2010, Part I: Wayne Escoffery, Dan Pratt and Matthew Kaminski
By C. Michael Bailey

Organ-based jazz inhabits a unique place as a sub-genre. The combination of the sacred churchy organ with the decadence of blues and bebop made for a heady brew after the introduction of the format by Wild Bill Davis and Bill Doggett in the 1950s. Qualitatively, the names that loom largest in organ jazz are Jimmy Smith, who put organ jazz on the map with his 1960s Blue Note and Verve recordings, and Larry Young, who picked up where Smith left off at Blue Note, propelling organ jazz into the fusion realm with drummer Tony Williams.

Besides being a firebrand, the organ rhythm section offers a grand alternative to piano and guitar setups. It provides an earthy sophistication, a hint of “soul jazz” as rich as bacon fat added to greens. In spring 2010, the market allows for several organ jazz releases of note. Here are three of them coming from Wayne Escoffery, Dan Pratt, and Matthew Kaminski.

Wayne Escoffery
Uptown
Posi-Tone Records
2010

Wayne Escoffery’s previous recordings, Times Change (Nagel Heyer Records, 2001), Intuition (Nagel Heyer Records, 2004), Veneration: Live at Smoke (Savant Records, 2007), Carolyn Leonhart & Wayne Escoffery—If Dreams Come True (Nagel- Heyer Records, 2007) and Wayne Escoffery & Veneration—Hopes & Dreams (Savant Records, 2008), established the saxophonist as a solid post bop musician with intelligent ideas and fine tonal form. His keen approach is sharpened in the organ trio format, where every edge and corner is visible.

This sharpness and precision in this format is made that much more keen by guitarist Avi Rothbard’s composing. “No Desert” and “Cross Bronx” are draftsman-angular pieces with accurate heads and orderly solos, all held together with the glue of Gary Versace’s organ. The real treat on the disc is a rollicking version of Duke Ellington’s “I Got it Bad,” where Escoffery swings so hard he changes the weather. Escoffery’s retro blues “Easy Now” is breezy with a gospel feel. “Nu Soul” breaks into adult contemporary terrain with a complex, assertive head. Escoffery is full-throated in his tenor tone and Versace all creamy warmth.

Uptown is an exciting release, a chance taken where the payoff is very finely performed music. Wayne Escoffery should return to this format in future recordings, but should not to over-do it, in case he makes the experience pedestrian.

Visit Wayne Escoffery on the web.

Dan Pratt Organ Quartet
Toe The Line
Posi-Tone Records
2010

Saxophonist Dan Pratt likes to fray those precise edges established by Wayne Escoffery, adding a bit of funky freedom to the mix. He also adds the competing trombone of Alan Ferber, rounding out the horn tone of the combo. Toe The Line is Pratt’s second recording, following Spring Loaded (Sunny Sky, 2004). It is a collection of eight Pratt originals and one standard (Ellington’s “Star Crossed Lovers”).

Pratt’s compositional bent tends to smart and wordy post bop. “Houdini” and “Minor Procedure” both are up-tempo burners with winding introductions. “Doppelganger” is an off-time blues that allows Pratt’s tenor to have contrapuntal relations with Alan Ferber’s trombone. The two unite for some slick and mantra-like ensemble play that oddly recalls saxophonist John Coltrane’s spiritual spasms without imitating them.

“Star Crossed Lovers” bisects the recital with a bona fide ballad treatment that recalls baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer in a very modern way. Jared Gold provides a most modern organ solo that mixes well with Pratt’s and Ferber’s subsequent soliloquies. The closing piece, “After,” opens with a Pentecostal call-and-response that flirts with a ballad before crossing the blues with sanctified gospel, producing 21st century New Orleans R & B. This broadly appealing album has much to offer listeners, its coda being a part of jazz fans’ collective DNA.