Brighter Days
Calligram, 2025
9/10
The tenor sax extraordinaire Jarod Bufe is in the company of Tim Stine, Matt Ulery and Jon Deitemyer for these timeless and articulate jazz selections.
The elegant mood of “Midnight” opens with Bufe’s fluid sax alongside Deitemyer’s cozy drums and Ulery’s playful bass, and “The Forgotten Before” follows with a distinct intimacy via Stine’s warm guitar and the soulful sax prowess.
In the middle, “Goodnight, My Brooklyn Prince” offers a calm climate of heartfelt song craft thanks to the soft wind and radiant guitar tone, while “Eclipse” emits a frisky demeanor, where the lively drumming helps illuminate the colorful album highlight.
Deeper still, “Goodbye, Marlene” focuses much on Bufe’s meticulous sax prowess with a gentle spirit, and “Window Well” exits with rhythmic and stylish grooves that you won’t soon forget.
An album of all originals, Bufe is quite comfortable in ballad settings just as he is in upbeat, blues influenced areas, as he continues to impress us with his impressive musical vision.
Travels well with: Ben Waltzer- The Point; Andy Baker- From Here, From There