New Release: Beatitude from David Bixler

 

New Release:  Beatitude from David Bixler
Label:  Tiger Turn
Release Date:  April 26, 2024
Website:  https://www.davidbixler.com

Saxophonist, composer, and leader David Bixler approaches jazz as a means to disseminate hope for a better day to come.  His 2024 release Beatitude spreads this message proudly and tacitly through his eight original pieces.  He expresses in the press release, "I speak for myself when I say every time I approach the piano, the bandstand and my colleagues, I do so with the understanding that I am approaching an altar, fellow ministers, and a congregation that needs ministering too."  The prevalent theme throughout the recording is promoting solace in the music and the cozy companionship demonstrated in the instrumentation.  His track "Balm" overflows with a cozy companionship quality, buoyed by the conversational interplay his sax holds with Jon Cowherd's piano keys as Ike Sturm's bass pulls sustain a reflective ambience enforced by Rogerio Boccato's mellow percussive beating.  His track "I Spy" strays from the beaten path of solace, cabin-ed in echoey drumbeats and sprinkling chimes.  Midway through, eery sounding keys and a billowing sax enter, creating a mysterious atmosphere.  The musicians timing is unstructured and reliant on impulsive inclinations.  

Moving forward, the syncopated beats of "A Power Deferred" induces a Latin shimmer into the score, while the waltzing stride of "Down Up" is garbed in languidly roaming keys and the soft puffing curlicues of Bixler's sax.  The composition grooms a nocturnal setting for the listener, resonating a ballroom swing luster.  The rumba-like beats in the undertow of "Peace Prize" support Bixler's freestyle toots on the saxophone, knitting Sturm's bopping bass into the melodic folds.  The quartet's exploration of melodic phrases and timing, in coordination with their inclination for cozy companionship has a sanguine effect on the listener. 

Musicians:
David Bixler - alto saxophone
Jon Cowherd - piano
Ike Sturm - bass
Rogerio Boccato - percussion