Celestial Heart
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
The esteemed trumpet player and singer Matt Von Roderick brings his creative jazz delivery to 7 songs that welcome Jim Keltner, Mike Valerio and Gil Goldstein.
“Fly Me To The Moon” opens the listen with Valerio’s precise bass plucking and Von Roderick’s playfully manipulated trumpet making for a very distinct atmosphere, and “Waking Up On Mars” follows with much attention to mood, where Keltner’s subdued drumming helps cultivate a setting of mystery.
Halfway through, “Crepuscule On Jupiter” uses plenty of playful percussive sounds amid the frisky drums and warm trumpet, while “Cantaloupe Island” enters dreamy territory that shimmers with both bare and busier moments of post-rock ideas.
The final piece, “I Fall In Love Too Easily”, radiates a rare intimacy, where Goldstein’s light keys accent the sublime demeanor of beauty thanks to the expressive singing.
A listen that’s part arrangements from the American Songbook, and part improvisation and spontaneous interaction, Von Roderick and company make for a striking, cinematic version of contemporary jazz that’s instantly mesmerizing.
Travels well with: Charles Lloyd- Vanished Gardens; Triio- Magnetic Dreaming