Hours Fly, Flowers Die
Shifting Paradigm, 2025
9/10
Listen to Hours Fly, Flowers Die
The Chicago saxophone extraordinaire Jimmy Farace is joined by plenty of esteemed guests for these 9 well thought out tracks that welcome strings, too.
“Growing Pains” opens with Farace’s rich baritone sax and the stirring strings from The Kaia String Quartet via much warmth and sophistication, and “Ferson Creek” follows with Kenny Reichert’s dreamy guitar that suits the reflective sax.
In the middle, the upbeat and playful “Directionally Challenged” makes great use of Dana Hall’s well timed drumming and Julius Tucker’s animated keys, while “My Ship” tugs on the heartstrings thanks to Hope Shepherd Decelle’s gorgeous cello.
The title track lands closer to the end, and unfolds with a busy and dynamic appeal that showcases Farace’s glowing wind amid Clark Sommers’ bass acrobatics and the lively drumming, and “Backyard Bobcat” exits with a melodic and colorful finish to a very memorable record.
This is Farace’s debut as leader and the themes of nostalgia and the passage of time unfold with timeless chamber jazz ideas that leave an indelible impression.
Travels well with: Joe Fiedler Trio 2.0- Dragon Suite; Randal Despommier- South