It\u2019s always a good time when a disc jumps out of the slush pile and fairly demands to be reviewed.\u00a0 So it was with Benny Reid\u2019s new disc Findings<\/i>, which made its way into my player and just didn\u2019t want to leave, earning repeated listens both at the desk in the car.<\/p>\n
Why this would be the case with a saxophonist leading a modern jazz ensemble when I\u2019m more of a power-pop\/classic rock kinda guy is one of those mysteries we\u2019ll just have to contemplate together.\u00a0 Surely it has something to do with melody \u2013 this disc offers it in spades \u2013 and passion \u2013 these guys play like they mean it.\u00a0 But I think there was also an element of pure admiration for what these guys are attempting here \u2013 to my ears, anyway \u2013 which is a kind of classic\/modern jazz hybrid, an approach to arrangements and solos that respects form and structure and doesn\u2019t overplay, yet simultaneously manages to stretch out and breathe in a variety of different ways.<\/p>\n
Alto saxophonist Reid\u2019s ensemble consists of Richard Padron on guitar, Aaron Goldberg on piano and Rhodes, Reuben Rogers on bass and Antonio Sanchez on drums, and they have a great feel for navigating these tunes, generating real swing on the upbeat numbers and lending great presence and restraint to the quieter moments.\u00a0 With a spare six tracks all clocking in around the eight-to-nine minute range, everyone gets a chance to strut their stuff.<\/p>\n
\u201cDestiny?\u201d is a strong opener, with Reid laying first bopping, then silvery-smooth lines over Rogers and Sanchez\u2019s skittering rhythm section, and the group taking some pleasant detours along the way, with Padron offering a rippling, tasteful solo before the track slows down to feature some evocative percussion work from guest Ryan Fitch.\u00a0 The last 90 seconds find the tempo recovering and the group coming full circle to return to the opening theme.<\/p>\n
Sophomore cut \u201cTransient Melody\u201d opens with some nice scatted vocal work from Reid, before moving in a sleepy, bluesy nightclub jazz arrangement.\u00a0 \u201cFindings: A Quest For Peace,\u201d pretentious title aside, furthers this sophisticated nightclub feel and features strong work from Goldberg in the early going before Reid takes over with a juking-jiving solo that is one of this disc\u2019s high points.\u00a0 Among the closing trio, \u201cDancing With My Father\u201d stands out for its poignant piano-sax duet.<\/p>\n
Findings<\/i> as a whole manages to meld traditional and contemporary jazz, by turns sassy and respectful, melodically rich yet unafraid to experiment.\u00a0 This one is definitely worth a spin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":28739,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[7931],"rating":[5617],"class_list":["post-40232","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-benny-reid","rating-rating-b-plus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/40232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40232"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/40232\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=40232"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=40232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}