Change Of Plans
Self-Released, 2020
9/10
The pianist extraordinaire Will Bonness returns with a 3rd album, where his keen sense of storytelling unfolds with plenty of thoughtful textures, as Jon Gordon, Jocelyn Gould, Julian Bradford and Fabio Ragnelli are on hand with their respective talents.
“Burning Bridges” starts the listen with a dizzying display of piano acrobatics alongside Gordon’s playful sax, as they find many grooves to cultivate, and “In The Wee Hours Of The Morning” follows with a calmer approach as warm balladry is explored with sublime singing from Gould.
In the middle, “Guiding Light” spotlights Ragnelli’s proficient drums as scatting accompanies the inviting and creative climate, while “I Love You”, a Cole Porter original, allows Bradford’s frisky bass prowess to shine alongside Gould’s versatile pipes.
Deeper still, the jazz rock of “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”, a Smashing Pumpkins hit, is redone here with much grace that still retains the grit of the original, and “Downpour” exits the listen with pop sensibilities highlighting the timeless jazz qualities.
It’s not too often that you’ll see covers of artists as diverse as Cole Porter and Billy Corgan on the same record, but Bonness and company easily pull it off with their immeasurable skills and impeccable dynamics on this varied and exceptional jazz effort.
Travels well with: Jesse Ryan- Bridges; Richard Whiteman- Very Well & Good