Live At Smalls
Cellar, 2024
9/10
This 8th release in the SmallsLIVE Living Masters series brings us the Grammy nominated trumpet extraordinaire, Jack Walrath, alongside Abraham Burton, George Burton, Boris Kozlov and Donald Edwards for 6 tracks captured in April, 2023.
The frisky “Roadkill” starts the listen with Edwards’ lively drums and Walrath’s bright brass that complements calmer moments with Kozlov’s meticulously plucked bass, and “A Bite In Tunisia” follows with an intimate soulfulness, where George Burton’s mature keys suit the elegant sax from Abraham Burton.
At the halfway point, “Left Turn On 86th Street” offers a frisky mood via the bouncy, scrappy drums and animated brass, while “Grandpa Moses” quickly escalates into a busy album highlight that’s collaborative in spirit and adventurous in its execution.
The last selection, “Sacrifice”, is initially drum focused, before Burton’s glorious tenor sax and Walrath’s well timed trumpet enter the flowing jazz dynamics.
Walrath has an impressive resume that includes working with Ray Charles, Charles Mingus and Miles Davis, to name a few, and now well into his ‘70s he’s proving that his timeless jazz spirit has not waned at all.
Travels well with: Jim Rotondi- Finesse; Cory Weeds- Home Cookin’