Completion
Praise Message, 2022
9/10
The debut album from the bass clarinet wizard and composer Griffin Woodard, the 11 songs here are autobiographical stories that shaped his life, and thematically surround love, isolation, connection and spirituality and ranges from solo to septet in its delivery.
“Little Angel” starts the listen with stunning vocals from Georgia Heers and Abe Gold’s warm piano in the cautious jazz climate, and “Doxology” follows with Coleman Rose’s soulful soprano saxophone on the atmospheric and dreamy demeanor.
“Bridget’s Song” arrives in the middle and showcases fascinating finger acrobatics from Abe Gold on the piano focused display, while “Marmalade” meshes brass, keys and sublime singing in the poetic landscape.
“Kyrie” and the title track exit the listen, where the former benefits much from Miles Gilbert’s plucked bass amid the high notes that Heers hits, and the latter spotlights Woodard’s intimate clarinet and is textured with a lush quality that also highlights Hugh Kline’s skilled drumming.
A listen that’s very spiritual at its core, each member brings their respective strengths to these diverse and timeless variations of jazz that you’ll want to hear repeatedly.
Travels well with: Connie Han- Secrets Of Inanna; Ron Carter- Skyline