Now in his late 70s, trumpeter Jack Walrath has pursued a varied career, including stints with Ray Charles and Charles Mingus. As part of the Mingus set-up in the latter years of the bassist’s life he assumed the role of arranger and carried on that association in the ranks of the tribute band Mingus Dynasty. This apart, he has never been slow to perform in more outward-bound circles with such musicians as Gary Peacock and Richard Abrams.
For this recording, made at the famous New York club Smalls, he used a band he has fronted since 2012. It benefits from familiarity but also displays a gratifying looseness, evident on each of half-a-dozen Walrath compositions. On the face of it, it would be easy to dismiss this music as being run-of-the-mill post-hard-bop but there is a certain satisfying spontaneity to it.
On each tune there are tempo changes to keep the listener on his toes with the frontline musicians both contemporary and backward-looking in turns. Walrath himself, firmly a modernist, is not ashamed to throw in some historically based growls or phrases – even a touch of Miles here and there.
Saxophonist Abraham Burton is happy to take his instrument into the upper reaches – almost de rigueur for the modern tenor player – but he is always in control, even if he can’t resist a nod in Coltrane’s direction. Similarly, pianist George Burton has some references up his sleeve, strung together in a unique approach that takes in a touch of Cecil Taylor and rubs shoulders with more downhome bluesy sounds.
There are no stand-out tracks, for the level of performance is extremely high. The mood is mostly up and the set is guaranteed to offer something for the 21st century jazzer.
Discography
Roadkill; A Bite In Tunisia; Left Turn On 86th Street; Grandpa Moses; Mood For Muhal; Sacrifice (62.34)
Walrath (t); Abraham Burton (ts); George Burton (p); Boris Kozlov (b); Donald Edwards (d). Smalls Jazz Club, NY, 4 April 2023.
Cellar Records CMSLF008
