An interesting debut album by St Louis-born trumpeter Marques Carroll was recorded on August 14-16 2020 at Palisade Studios in Chicago, a city that has produced many fine and influential jazz musicians. Carroll composed and arranged all eight tunes and his melodic thoughtful approach, together with his superb sound, is evident on every number.
The Ancestors Call Amongst Us: Nice solos from trombone and alto sax.
Generations Response: Flugelhorn, alto sax and piano share the honours.
Assemble the Enlightened: Alto sax and piano solo,
Beyond the Battle: Starts with a short wild freak-out from trumpet and alto then goes into a catchy theme from the alto, before the tempo increases and it finishes with some explosive drumming from Greg Artry.
Urgency: Very aptly named! Starts with staccato trumpet then it takes on a Mexican mariachi vibe after which we get a fluent alto solo.
Aries Goddess (for Consuela and the fallen): The only track with a vocal which is OK with me although Sharon Irving is certainly worth hearing.
Resolution for Us: Out of tempo intro then a bass riff leading into some relaxed flugelhorn.
Our Ancestors Final Words: A medium tempo groove with trumpet
to the fore.
I must also mention the fine playing of alto saxman Brent Griffin on this disc as he does a first-rate job and has a great sound which blends well during the themes. I have played this CD many times and all the tracks are worth repeated listening but, if I had to make a choice I would pick track 4 Beyond the Battle which reminds me of something Roy Hargrove once played. A second choice would be track 5 Urgency which makes me think of Mexico or Spain. One thing I like about this album is that they used an acoustic piano rather than electric piano, thus avoiding a retro feel that some bands seem to favour.
Anyway I can say that anyone buying this fine album
are unlikely be disappointed and for information about the many activities of
Marques Caroll check out his website www.marquescarroll.com
Mike Farmer.
Release date - April 16.
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