feature photo: John Rogers
After pushing hard against the boundaries of jazz for so long, drummer, composer and bandleader Tyshawn Sorey has lately been taking a back to basics approach with his art. Yet, his music remains compelling as ever, as he revisits more traditional jazz informed with his ambitious, fearless disposition.
Continuing carries over his standards trio from 2022’s widely-cheered Mesmerism with Aaron Diehl on piano and Matt Brewer on acoustic bass, though only out of these four extended jams, only Matt Dennis and Earl K. Brent’s “Angel Eyes” might actually be considered a standard.
Dedicating the album to his former mentor Harold Mabern, Sorey would have unquestionably done the late pianist proud, continuing (ahem) with achieving great profundity through spacious, uncluttered readings. Even more so than Mesmerism , the songs are stretched out, allowing for fuller development of ideas and making these performances seem anything but perfunctory.
Mabern’s work is represented by his bop-based early-fusion adventure “In What Direction Are You Headed?” and while its debut on Lee Morgan’s final studio album is definitive, Sorey amps up the funk element and Brewer plays an entirely different, modern bass line for it. Diehl meanwhile, knows just when to reveal the preciousness of Mabern’s melody and when to just sit back and let the rhythm section do its thing.
By contrast, Tyshawn Sorey slows Wayne Shorter’s “Reincarnation Blues” way down, contributing to a heavier blues feel as Sorey’s drumming greatly resembles Art Blakey’s (the first version of this song did appear on a Blakey/Jazz Messengers LP, after all). Once again, Brewer figures in prominently, getting the first solo feature. When Diehl takes his turn, the underlying harmony subtly shifts, as evidenced by Brewer’s new bass line.
Ahmad Jamal’s “Seleritus” goes through a thorough reharmonization treatment in Diehl’s hands, seemingly making a point of it by playing full staccato chords in rhythm while Sorey’s tom-toms constantly propels the song forward. An acutely economical, crawling approach taken to “Angel Eyes” does nothing to diminish the impact of the song’s melody; if anything, the beauty of the tune gets illuminated this way. Brewer’s turns his bass spotlight into an intimate lament and Diehl plays sparingly but makes every note choice like as if his life depended on it.
Tyshawn Sorey’s trio builds on the triumph of the standards-reimagining Mesmerism with the loose, imaginative Continuing.
Continuing is out now, courtesy of PI Recordings. One place where you can get this is Bandcamp.
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