Seen On The Scene
Origin, 2021
8/10
The Seattle trumpet wizard Jared Hall returns with a sophomore album as leader, where he’s in the company of Vincent Herring (alto saxophone), John Hansen (piano), Michael Glynn (bass), and Matt Jorgensen (drums) across instrumental jazz tunes that are both originals and classics and are executed with much attention to detail.
Hall starts the listen with the bouncy bass and warm keys highlighting the timeless jazz of the title track, and this energetic formula continues to the soulful and melodic “Mating Call”, as well as the initially bass focused and then reflective trumpet of “Theme From Love Story”.
In the middle, “Coral Way” showcases the superb drumming as much beauty and playfulness surrounds the dance floor ready album standout, while “If You Could See Me Now” moves cautiously with trumpet and keys interacting with much grace.
The final two tracks, “Farewell” and another take of “If You Could See Me Now”, don’t disappoint either, where the former rumbles with a fuller appeal that glows with a hard bop, and the latter exits the listen on a lengthier version of sublime musicianship and meticulously textured jazz.
An excellent debut on Origin Records, Hall explores both intimate and rich moments, and along with the esteemed players on hand, offers an ideal listen for the jazz enthusiast, where soaring solos and shifting moods make a sizable impression.
Travels well with: Michael Waldrop- Triangularity; Victor Gould- In Our Time