Live At Cliff Bell’s
Shifting Paradigm, 2024
8/10
Listen to Live At Cliff Bell’s
The trumpet and flugelhorn player Michael Sarian explores both composed and improvised sounds here, where he’s joined by Santiago Leibson (piano), Nathan Ellman-Bell (drums) and Marty Kenney (bass) for the adventurous 9 tracks.
“Primo” opens the listen with a frisky energy, where Kenney’s bouncy bass meets Sarian’s animated trumpet, and “Aurora” follows with a calmer mood of soft drums complementing Ellman-Bell’s cozy bass.
“The Pilgrim” lands in the middle and offers a hypnotic mood thanks to Leibson’s cinematic keys and the lush instrumentation, while “Glass Mountains” uses the brass in exciting ways that are lively and unpredictable amid the chilling rhythm section.
“Portraits Of Haile” and “Living At The End Of The World” exit the listen. The former is a rich album highlight that meshes the firm horn with agile drumming and plucked bass, and the latter finishes with a rare intimacy of mature keys and soulful brass.
An album with a wealth of melody and a mix of composed versus spontaneous song craft, Sarian and company flesh out a dynamic and memorable performance via a powerful set.
Travels well with: Conrad Herwig- The Latin Side Of McCoy Tyner; Emiliano Lasansky- The Optimist