Album Review: Light from a Person from Jane Ira Bloom

 

Album:  Light from a Person
Artist:  Jane Ira Bloom
Label:  Outline Records
Release Date:  October 22, 2026
Website:  https://www.janeirabloom.com

Soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom engages in a melodic trio with vibraphonist David Friedman and upright bass player Ken Filiano for her recording Light from a Person, a compilation of original compositions by Bloom.  Avant, atmospheric and spacious, the three enter into a spontaneous rapport as the trio take a position on the frontline of conversant improvisations.  Their sonic passages are clad with traveling emanations as each of them channels an inner voice that keeps the melodic progressions evolving, advancing and fluid.  The three communicate at a mindful pace as though contemplating each note and melodic phrasing, lucid of each other's anecdotal remarks.

Friedman's vibes snuggle alongside Bloom's meandering saxophone musings as the subdued beats of Filiano's bass create a languid current through "White Tower," adjusting the tempo to a light percolation along "Airspace," as Bloom's saxophone surges, Filiano's bass quivers and Friedman's vibes twinkle brightly.   In "Desert," the trio modulates the passages between being roomy and spacious, and creating contrasting textures that squawk and squeal.  "Van Gogh" is a personalized pictorial that showcases the trio's impression of the 19th century Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, bridging together erratic saxophone flutters, doodling vibes, and palpitating bass strokes.

The trio exhibit a personalized method of communication.  Their spontaneous rapport is frontline material, inspiring other musicians of their ilk in the art of conversing while cognizant of each note, each shift in the phrasing, and each voice contributing to the scene.  The trio signify intensity without indulging in being dramatic but rather express themselves in a subdued and languid manner.  Still, their intensity is palpable.

Musicians:
Jane Ira Bloom - soprano saxophone
David Friedman - vibraphone
Ken Filiano - upright bass