The Long Wait
BJU, 2024
8/10
The trombonist and composer Matthew McDonald is joined by some excellent players for a lively jazz affair that touches on swing, Big Band and improvised ideas.
McDonald’s warm trombone starts the listen, where the title track welcomes Mark Whitfield Jr.’s frisky drums to the stylish climate, and “Liebish” follows with Yasushi Nakamura’s colorful bass amid Manuel Valera’s lively keys.
Halfway through, “Dealin’” welcomes Alex Norris’ vibrant trumpet that adds much to the animated delivery and flowing melodies, while “A Chance Encounter” is an intimate moment that benefits much from Janet Alexrod’s dreamy flute and Ben Kono’s eloquent English horn.
Close to the end, “Feng-I” makes great use of Na-Cheng Chen’s cello, Meg Okura’s violin, Yu-Ping Tsai’s violin and Andy Lin’s viola for the poetic and heartfelt album highlight, and “Going Back, Moving Forward” exits with a busy approach, where McDonald’s skilled trombone guides the scrappy and swift display of timeless jazz.
A record that embraces the complicated, fast-paced and vibrant life in New York City, McDonald and company make every track here worth repeated listens.
Travels well with: Tone Forest- Tone Forest; Stephen Philip Harvey Octet- Live At Radio Artifact