Dance, Eternal Spirits, Dance!
Capri, 2025
9/10
Listen to Dance, Eternal Spirits, Dance!
The esteemed arranger and bandleader Mark Masters interprets the work of the saxophonist Billy Harper, where these 8 tracks feature an all star cast and plenty of solos.
The animated climate of “Was It Here… Is It Here?” opens with bright horns, where Kendall Kay’s lively drumming makes an impression, and “The One Who Makes The Rain Stop” follows with Billy Harper’s meticulous tenor sax and Francesca Tanksley’s playful keys adding much richness.
Landing in the middle, the intimate spirit of “If One Could See” tugs on the heartstrings thanks to Jerry Pinter’s graceful sax and the dreamy keys, while the title track builds into a dynamic and fluid execution thanks to Tim Hagan’s colorful trumpet and Chris Colangelo’s strategic bass.
Close to the end, “Insight” features Kirsten Edkins’ tenor sax amid the dizzying brass and winds via a festive mood, and “Credence” exits with Aaron Janik’s flugelhorn and Ido Meshulam’s trombone complementing the timeless, Big Band appeal.
This is just 1 of the 2 albums Masters released in 2025, and these new arrangements certainly do justice to the originals, where the meticulous jazz ideas won’t go unappreciated.
Travels well with: Phil Haynes- Transitions; Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio- Dream A Dream