Technically proficient on any horn with a reed and a great sense of melody but with an adventurous spirit, Avram Fefer should be a household name in jazz. That’s something I find myself saying every time there’s a new Fefer release to absorb. His prior one, 2019’s Testament was a long time in the making but completely rewarded the patience.
On that record, Fefer expanded his high-powered trio with bassist Eric Revis and drummer Chad Taylor with some extraordinary guitar by Marc Ribot. That quartet carries forward for Fefer’s first post-pandemic release Juba Lee (Clean Feed Records).
Three years and a worldwide health crisis didn’t effect a change in how Fefer and his quartet make their music and that’s just fine; there was nothing that needed adjustment, anyway. On the 2019 release, the quartet had their own original take on the Ornette Coleman approach (“Parable”) and do that again for “Gemini Time,” where Ribot’s standout solo is somehow matched when it’s Fefer’s turn on alto sax and Revis doesn’t disappoint on his aside, either. As the group tackled straight jazz earlier on “Dean St. Hustle,” so too they hearken back to boppish basics for “Showtime,” providing exemplary accompaniment to Fefer’s funky tenor. When Ribot takes his turn, he’s anything but hackneyed: he swings mightily alright, but does so on his own terms, cutting some notes off slightly, getting jiggly at one point as the rhythm section immediately reacts. Fefer drew up “Juba Lee” to take in some non-Western influences and then he stretches out alongside Ribot on an extensive free middle section, just as they did for Testament‘s “Magic Mountain.”
Taylor’s mastery of multi-rhythms key tracks like “Sky Lake” with Revis holding down the circular harmonic underpinning, freeing up Fefer and Ribot to get really creative. The master drummer again conjures up a sophisticated but danceable sway for “Brother Ibrahim” as Revis’ bass figure grooves right along. Ribot’s rhythm guitar borders on RnB and Fefer is sounding festive.
The leader’s compositions often expand well beyond traditional Western and jazz music forms. A faintly North African vibe pervades “Bedouin Dream,” where Fefer and Ribot engage in silvery unison lines. “Love Is In The Air” (not the John Paul Young song) flows freely on a Middle-Eastern strain, articulated soulfully by Fefer again on alto sax.
A bass clarinet is employed for Fefer’s salute to the late Greg Tate, “Sweet Fifteen (for G.T.)”, backed only by Ribot’s subdued acoustic guitar. In spite of this two-chord song being the simplest of Fefer’s originals in this batch, he carries the song with the focused passion he invests into his horn.
On Juba Lee, Avram Fefer’s Quartet picks right up where Testament left off, resulting in another excellent entry from the underrated saxophonist, composer and leader. And that is because Avram Fefer not only has so much talent at his disposal (including himself), he also knows how to utilize it to the fullest.
You can pick up Juba Lee today from Bandcamp.
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