Recollecting
Inner-Bop, 2022
8/10
The Montreal guitarist Mathieu Soucy brings along Gentiane MG, Mike De Masi, Jacob Wutzke and Caity Gyorgy for these originals and standards that swing playfully and welcome plenty of precise solos, too.
“Lennie’s Changes” starts the listen with the guitars, drums and piano mixing with meticulous melodies that you can’t help but enjoy, and “Where Or When” follows with Gyorgy’s flowing, expressive pipes guiding Soucy’s spirited guitar lines and De Masi’s bouncy bass.
In the middle, “Blues For Barry” is a mid-tempo jazz rocker that benefits much from Wutzke’s skilled drumming, while “Thinker And A Fool” follows with a boss nova demeanor that showcases Gyorgy’s easy going voice.
“Reflections” and “Recollecting” exit the listen, where the former is indeed cautious in its solo guitar delivery of the T.S. Monk original, and the latter is a charming, improvised finish that spotlights MG’s agile key acrobatics amid the frisky drums and adaptable bass and guitar.
Soucy is a rising talent in the Canadian jazz scene, and this excellent and adventurous debut will certainly make a sizable impression with anyone who enjoys modern, straight ahead jazz that we could never tire of.
Travels well with: Russ Hewitt- Chasing Horizons; Gary Eastman Trio- Trust Me