Feels So Good
Basset Hound, 2024
8/10
The tuba wizard Jim Self and master guitarist John Chiodini align for this 5th project together that welcomes Steve March, Phil Feather, Bill Booth and Kris Bergh.
Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” starts the listen with Self’s soulful brass alongside Chiodini’s warm electric guitar, and “I Forget” follows with playful tuba amid mesmerizing Nylon acoustical electrical guitar that makes for a distinct tone.
The title track lands closer to the middle and retains the upbeat mood of the Chuck Mangione original, where the F tuba and 12 string guitar radiate melody, while “Isfahan” welcomes Feather’s graceful alto sax to the elegant balladry.
Deeper still, Bergh’s bright trumpet enters the cozy jazz of “Riddle Of The Mode”, and “Blues Connotation” exits with March’s tenor sax and Booth’s trombone joining the F tuba, electric guitar, alto sax and trumpet for the lively blues energy of the Ornette Coleman classic.
A collaborative sextet effort, this is an aptly titled affair that uses both standards and originals for top notch modern jazz that’s as sensitive as it is creative.
Travels well with: The Jim Self/John Chiodini Duo- Hangin’ Out; Jim Witzel Quartet- Breaking Through Gently