Album Review: Aurora from the Finn Wiest Quintet

-

Album:  Aurora
Artist:  Finn Wiest Quintet
Label:  Self-Released
Websites:  https://finnwiest.com/
                  https://finnwiest.bandcamp.com/album/aurora
                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RItvtO8hfE

Jazz drummer-educator-composer Finn Wiest merges the fluid musings of Chick Corea with the cozy stride of McCoy Tyner and the sleek spontaneity of Billy Cobham on his recording Aurora.  Joined by his quintet, consisting of Julius van Rhee on alto saxophone, Victor Fox on tenor saxophone, Leandro Irarragorri on piano, and Calvin Lennig on bass, together, their collaborations blend the vintage sounds of bebop with improvised twists and straight-ahead jazz threads.

The title track, written by Irarragorri, travels at a leisurely pace held by the gentle glint of his keys, as the flare of the saxophones spin delightful twirls and spirals.  Moving into "Old Kid," composed by Lennig, the arrangement features the serpentine toots of Rhee's alto sax and Fox's fluttering tenor, as Wiest's robust drumming remains steady and bold alongside Lennig's own resolute vibrations on the bass.

Wiest's own composition, "Waltz," has a breezy gait punctuated by the improvised squiggles of the saxophones, as Irarragorri's keys scroll twinkling ringlets beaded into the melodic discourse.  The recording picks up the tempo with Victor Fox's rousing contribution "Giga," as the saxophones forge blazing ripples and Wiest's drumbeats kick up to a taut and brisk tremor.  The arrangement opens into fractured splinters of dissonance led by Irarragorri's keys partnered with the disjointed abstractions of the saxophones.

Contrastingly, "Zu viel," penned by Julius van Rhee, is driven by a theme of serenity and harmony, layered in fluid musings and a soft stroking rhythm.  The quintet demonstrates an innate rapport, augmenting each other's input and contributions with complementing add-ons and extentions.  

The quintet curates a collage of jazz-inspired mosaics.  Melodic patterns that travel between dissonance and harmony, sonically fractured and splintered, and at other times serene and fluid.  The Finn Wiest Quintet delve deep into the workings of bebop, straight-ahead jazz and the principles of improvisation.  They transition seamlessly between structured motifs and improvised appendages.  Their offering denotes an innate rapport, which leaves the listener with the impression that the quintet functions effortlessly.

Musicians:
Finn Wiest - drums
Julius van Rhee - alto sax
Victor Fox - tenor sax
Leandro Irarragorri - piano
Calvin Lennig - bass

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Album Review: Becoming Marlene Dietrich from Myriam Phiro

-
Image
Album:  Becoming Marlene Dietrich Artist:  Myriam Phiro Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.myriamphiro.com Smooth jazz vocalist Myriam Phiro introduces a new generation of music listeners to jazz standards that made Marlene Dietrich famous in her time from the 1920's to 1940's with Phiro's new release Becoming Marlene Dietrich .  Although Phiro immerses herself in melodies that had been Dietrich's trademark tunes, Phiro tailors the songs to her likeness.  Her illustrious mezzo-soprano register is higher on the vocal spectrum than Dietrich's contralto pitch, which stamps the tracks with her own unique nuances and inflections.  Her treatment of the verses is finessed with a distinctly soft, feminine touch and a delightfully, hypnotic resonance, setting her style apart from Dietrich's. Her vocals cradle the lyrics of "Quand L’Amour Meurt," written by Georges Crémieux and Octave Millandy, with a warmth that penetrates the listener's soul as Hyuna Park...
Read more

Album Review: Globetrotter from Luca di Luzio

-
Image
Album:  Globetrotter Artist:  Luca di Luzio Label:  Self-Released Website:  www.lucadiluzio.it   Guitarist Luca di Luzio's upcoming CD, Globetrotter  is an assortment of contemporary jazz tunes bridging funk, blues, soul, and Latin music.  Comprised of a few jazz standards and a handful of original works written by Luca di Luzio, a prolific guitar player who studied different styles of music, the recording expresses his personal vision of jazz guitar based on melody and groove.  Joining Di Luzio in his vision are bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Dave Wecki, keyboardist George Whitty, and saxophonists Max Ionata and Alessandro Fariselli. From dance-funk numbers like "Jazzlife" and "Elisir" to the soft billows and reflective moods projected in "Smile" and " Buena Suerte," Di Luzio's artistry stems from his vision to make music that is aesthetically pleasing.  "Sunshower," a tune written by Kenny Barron, is a pr...
Read more

Album Review: The Ways In from James Zollar

-
Image
Album:  The Ways In Artist:  James Zollar Label:  Label: JZAZ Records Websites:  https://www.rsberkeley.com/james-zollar https://www.discogs.com/artist/954763-James-Zollar https://wyntonmarsalis.org/personnel/detail/james-zollar A straight-ahead jazz oeuvre, The Ways In from bandleader and trumpet player James Zollar resumes a quest where pioneers of the trumpet's sympathetic vibrations like Clifford Brown and Bill Coleman left off.  Zollar shows audiences the delightful, melodious tone of the trumpet, moving in harmony with an array of brass, woodwinds, and rhythm instruments. The robust wails of Zollar's trumpet strutting languidly along "Do Nothing 'till You Hear From Me" emotes an enduring personable trait, unwavering persistence in the face of being dejected.  The recording switches to a joyful atmosphere in "Swing Spring" with jangly beats from percussionist Chembo Corniel, interfacing with the buoyant ripples generated by Michael Rorby's trom...
Read more