Frozen In Time
Fresh Sound, 2020
8/10
A leader in the area of modern jazz, the saxophone virtuoso Nicholas Brust is in fine company here, as Ben Eunson, Tuomo Uusitalo, Josh Allen and Jay Sawyer accompany him across this very accomplished debut album.
“Work Ahead” starts the listen with sax acrobatics from Brust as Sawyer’s proficient drums keep pace with the lively display of jazz influenced skill, and “Hearts And Spades” follows with sublime keys from Uusitalo in the dreamy setting of reflective beauty that displays plucked bass from Allen.
Elsewhere, the title track is a busy affair where all the members contribute their respective talents to the highly melodic delivery, while “Hymnal For Those In Need” finds an elegant place to reside amid powerful brass and strategic percussion. “Adversity”, one of the album’s best, then dances with a frisky pace of rhythmic and precise interplay that derives inspiration from George Coleman.
“Soliloquy in F Minor” and “A Shifting State” finish the listen, where the former moves cautiously with an introspective spirit that’s not short on grooves, and the latter showcases Brust’s exceptional reed skills amid the playful jazz climate that’s constantly shifting in meter.
Brust’s formula is indebted to legends like Robert Glasper, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Roy Hargrove, and he takes that adoration and injects into his very contemporary and creative execution that makes it abundantly clear why he’s considered one of the best saxophone players today.
Travels well with: The Moore-McColl Jazz Society- Electric Fantastic; Ashley Locheed & Chris Rottmayer- So In Love