Locally Sourced
Neuma, 2024
8/10
The first album from the Ohio saxophonist Todd Gaffke, we’re treated to selections from Akron composers and one penned by Gaffke’s former student, where some help on piano cultivates a contemporary classical setting.
Robert J. Brownlow’s “Tropospheric Gates” opens with Gaffke’s swirling alto-sax prowess that’s agile and inviting, and “A City Moving Forward”, by Cody Ray, follows with Helena Hyesoo Kim’s keys that dance around the frisky saw prowess in animated ways.
A pair of James Wilding pieces occupy the middle, where “Linea Instrumentalis” finds itself in minimal areas of beauty in a solo sax setting, while “Hiaba Igama” balances intimacy and exploration via Wilding’s unpredictable keys and Gaffke’s luminous tenor sax.
The final track, Nikola Resanovic’s “Sonata For Tenor Saxophone and Piano”, radiates much sensitivity thanks to the soulful sax and Kim’s well timed keys, that, at the end, get quite lively and exciting.
A highly versatile, passionate and introspective affair, Gaffke is off to a commanding start and it will be exciting to see what he does next.
Travels well with: Denman Maroney Quintet- The Air-Conditioned Nightmare; Bandwidth- Where Songs Go At Night