The Proper Time
Self-Released, 2023
9/10
The pianist, composer and arranger Marcus Persiani brings his influence from legends like Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, and McCoy Tyner for these 9 well thought out tracks that bring in some excellent help.
“Little Mouse House” leads the listen with Wayne Escoffrey’s lively sax amid Byron Landham’s agile drumming, as Persiani’s glowing keys radiate much warmth, and “Blue Dress Rehearsal” follows with Kenny Davis’ flowing bass amid the melodic key progressions for a more intimate climate.
Further along, “Forecast Blues” welcomes George Coleman’s tenor sax to the timeless jazz spirit that’s aglow with rhythm and harmonics, while the dreamy “Before You Go” spotlights Joe Magnarelli’s cautious brass that suits Persiani’s emotive keys.
Approaching the end, “Voodoo Call” makes great use of David Gibson’s firm drums and Patience Higgins’ soaring tenor sax for the frisky delivery, and “Roundhouse” exits with Persiani’s fascinating key acrobatics that are complemented by the animated bass and booming sax.
This is 1 of 2 albums that Persiani released in 2023, the other being In-Motion, and it’s first rate instrumental jazz that employs a wealth of talent for some highly memorable tracks.
Travels well with: Charles Pillow Large Ensemble- Electric Miles 2; Emmett Goods- Another Level