Solon McDade (bass/composer); Donny Kennedy (alto); Jeremiah McDade (tenor); Paul Shrofel (piano); Rich Irwin (drums)
(Review by Lance).
Another late bloomer. Released earlier this year, in April, it has been worth waiting for and not just for the quirky titles!
He's a Problem in the Locker Room has a boppy head with flattened fifths abounding as if we were back on 52nd St. There's a cool Lee Konitz/Warne Marsh feel to the ensembles on this and the subsequent tracks.
Buy the Tractor, an explorative piece that does nothing to explain the title but does plenty to make you appreciate the rich harmonies and the integration between soloist and support.
Do Airplanes Scratch the Sky? brings Mingus to Mind, not just in Solon McDade's bass solo but also in his writing which is very much in the Black Saint mode. The way the two horns blend is effective and their solos take us on fanciful flights. I wonder if saxophones may also scratch the sky?
Whatever Whatever has a nice uptempo swing about it, Kennedy soaring like a bird, with Shrofel and leader McDade joining in the fun.
The Ballad of Sir William Ormerod has a meditative piano solo - it's rather beautiful -bringing the horns in. The music is funereal and, if you know the story behind the title you'll discover just how appropriate it is. If you don't, then read up on it here. Solon's bass solo keeps the hearse moving majestically forward before the wild wake.
Off the Bed, Rose opens up with Kennedy's angular alto adventure followed by Shrofel's piano picnic, Jeremiah's japes and fantastic fours all-round. (Rose?)
Blues For Sebastian is just that although, unlike Sir William, we know as little about Sebastian as we do about Rose. It doesn't matter, it's as good as any blues number I've heard this year, not least because of the composer's bass solo.
Ali's Second Line. could this refer to "The Greatest"? Maybe, because the horns are floating in the ensembles and stinging in the solos with Rich Irwin's drums doing a kind of bebop Ali Shuffle. YouTube.
A Shorter Thing, no prizes for guessing the inspiration here (I hope!) Shrofel once again waxes lyrical. Solon too keeps the mellow mood going setting the horns up to take it to a gentle fade-out.
One thing this album proves is that Canadian jazz isn't American music's poor relation.
Lance.
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