Heat Wave
Origin, 2022
8/10
The saxophonist and bass clarinet wizard Idit Shner is in the company of John Mambira (percussion, vocals), Torrey Newhart (piano, keyboards, vocals), Garrett Baxter (bass), Ken Mastrogiovanni (drums) and Ratie D (mbira, vocals) for this powerful debut album.
“Obsidian Horses” starts the listen with soulful, wordless vocals that are met with firm keys and playful percussion for the very cultured opener, and “Heatwave” follows with a swift and very lively display of soaring sax, frisky drumming and playful keys.
In the middle, the warm bass clarinet of “Mhondoro” complements the strategic bass work in the unpredictable album highlight, while “Usavabvumire” brings bright textures amid the brass exploration and energetic rhythm section.
Approaching the end, “Step By Step” recruits jazz and world music flavor together for a mesmerizing 7+ minutes, and “Fingerprints” exits the listen with vibes adding a dreamy element to the spirited sax and pretty scatting.
An extremely diverse affair, the players’ roots reside in Israeli, Zimbabwe and Oregon, and the meshing of American jazz with global ideas makes for an exciting and stylish pandemic record that’s hopefully the first of many to come.
Travels well with: Xose Miguélez- Contradictio; Hal Galper Trio- Invitation To Openness