Anemone
Ride Symbol, 2020
8/10
The rising New York saxophonist Vito Dieterle is in great company here, as Ben Paterson handles organs, Kris Kaiser takes up guitar duties and Aaron Seeber holds down drums on the jazz and bebop friendly Anemone.
“Dream Dancing” starts the listen soft and soothing with calm saxophone amid light guitar lines in the agile opener, though it isn’t long before the quartet enter swinging territory on the lively and infectious Tommy Turrentine tune, “You Said It”.
In the middle, the romantic “Lush Life” delivers jazz waltz sensibilities, while “That’s Earl, Brother” gets energetic and frisky with incredible interplay between the drums and saxophones. “Chelsea Bridge”, one of the album’s best, then gets dreamy, gorgeous and ultra melodic on the Billy Strayhorn classic.
Close to the end, “Just In Time” flows with a bossa nova feel as Paterson’s organ prowess adds much to the equation, and the ballad “Anemone”, the sole original, ends the listen with a duet between Kris Kaiser’s elegant guitar work and Dieterle’s calculated saxophone.
Heavily influenced by Stan Getz and Sonny Stitt, Dieterle is certainly forging his own path, as the many solos present from the sax, guitar and organ help cultivate a very soulful effort.
Travels well with: Jay Willie & James Montgomery- Cadillac Walk; John Dimartino- Passion Flower: The Music Of Billy Strayhorn