Nightfalls And Midnight Revels
Ravello, 2025
8/10
Listen to Nightfalls And Midnight Revels
The inimitable saxophonist Paul Cohen takes on an adventurous project of both old and new sounds, where chamber works for trio, quartet and quintet unfold with precision.
Wolfgang Jacobi’s “Kleine Stücke” opens with Cohen’s playful sax alongside Brennan Sweet’s meticulous violin and Allison Brewster Franzetti’s elegant piano, and “Nocturnes”, by Peter Lurye, follows with strings from Urara Mogi, Luke Krafka and Richard Auldon Clark interacting with warmth amid Cohen’s bright wind.
Steve Cohen’s “Fiveplay” lands in the middle and recruits Jarod Apple and Yvette Sakow’s intimate saxes that suit Anna Keiserman’s moody keys, while “Midsummer Suite” is an animated album highlight that benefits much from the violin, viola and cello via the Richard Auldon Clark original.
The last track, Jonathan Sichel’s “Piano Quintet”, moves cautiously, where 4 saxophones and keys are layered with precision, richness and intimacy.
A collaborative effort that’s not short on expression or emotion, Cohen and company present chamber ideas with strong attention to detail and much focus on saxophone.
Travels well with: Matthew Burtner- Profiled From Atmospheres; Jeff Siegfried- Shades