Fierce Heart
Integrity, 2020
8/10
A veteran composer and multi-instrumentalist, David Bach has an impressive catalog, and Fierce Heart adds to that with stylish, mature jazz tunes where a handful of contributors are on hand.
The title track starts the listen with no shortage of grooves in the trumpet and sax filled atmosphere as Michele Bowman and Jenny Langer’s wordless vocals add much to the setting, as does Bach’s piano acrobatics, and “Gymopedie”, an Erik Satie original, follows with bright instrumentation where strategic flute from Brian Falkowski makes an impression.
In the middle, “Mood Swing” brings sax, bass, flute, guitar, and talking drum to a very dynamic and enlightening delivery with much synth, while Sting’s “Roxanne” trims the pace back to a calmer jazz display with Rob Zinn’s trumpet really accenting the mood. “We Are The Champions”, one of the album’s best, then offers a beautiful interpretation of the classic that doesn’t shy away from chamber qualities, too.
At the end, “Trickle Up” flows with a busy but controlled setting of immense skill, and “Taylor” brings in upright bass, keys and flute together on the cautious exit with sweet melodies.
This is Bach’s 6th album, and it’s one of his most gorgeous outings to date, as all 3 covers are reworked in the artist’s unique vision and the originals display a keen sense of modern jazz that we will never tire of.
Travels well with: David Boswell- The Story Behind The Story; Adam Glaser Trio- Wide Awake