CD Review: Jeremy Wilms - Diamond People.

Jeremy Wilms (gtr/Rhodes); Matt Hilgenberg (tpt); Cochemea Gastelum (sax); Steve Blanco (keys); Danton Boller (bs); Tomas Fujiwara/Greg Gonzalez (dms); Reinaldo De Jesus (perc).

(Review by Lance).

Diamond People indeed! Wilms and his cohorts are just some of the many New York musicians (and likewise the many talented and creative musicians in this country) whose names may be lost mid-Atlantic were it not for sites such as ourselves.

Wilms wears a coat of many colours - jazz and classical composer, singer-songwriter, bandleader, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, electronic producer, rock musicians, composer of film themes and currently leading a prog rock band NOMOTO.

As befits a player who lists working with Chico Hamilton on his CV the guitarist is very much into his jazz bag on this disc He says that "His career has consisted of a lot of playing what other people want to hear. Diamond People is all about not playing to the current trends. It's going back to an older approach to making a record, just people playing live in one room."
The music spans the jazz genres, Bebop; Hard Bop; Funk; Latin; Contemporary in seamless fashion. Wild at times but always with a sense of cohesion about what's happening.
Apart from Wilms, horns Hilgenberg and Gastelum excel as does Blanco and the two drummers working in tandem, admirably aided and abetted by bassist Boller and De Jesus on percussion.
The concluding Hymn doesn't quite make it for me - the ensemble reminding me of a couple I'd just heard on X Factor playing musical saws!
**** (excluding final track) ***½ (including final track).
Lance.
Jeremy Wilms - Diamond People now available. Check out www.jeremywilms.com.