The fusion jazz quintet Last Ark Out is poised to drop a strong new set of tunes and we’re providing a taste of this new album by introducing a video of one of their tracks. Lift is going to be the second long-player for this Vancouver/Montréal cooperative, finally coming to fruition after pandemic delayed the follow-up to their 2017 debut Wake.
The band was formed from former classmates from Vancouver Community College. Arthur Pascau Smith (guitar), Jeff Gammon (bass), James Huumo (keys), Colin Parker (drums) and Justin Gorrie (alto sax, guitar, EMEO) were able to keep this good thing going thanks to a grant from the Canada Council of the Arts, and the music they were able to make more than justified the grant.
The fusion of Last Ark Out is tight, groovy and full of urbane chord changes, just the kind of rock-jazz that makes you feels good without the empty calories, much like Herbie Hancock’s funk-jazz classic Thrust that inspired this band. What’s more, all but one of the seven tracks of Lift boasts a featured, guest soloist playing original material from a group member that were written with these players in mind. Each of these guests put in their parts remotely via a stack of old CRT displays.
For the video premiering above of the track “Libra,” that guest lead is famed American reedist Hailey Niswanger, who does a lot of work for this song, contributing an array of woodwinds for its graceful, orchestral intro. From there, the piece moves into a mid-tempo sway and Niswanger’s soulful tenor sax leads the band through Gorrie’s attractive melody.
Last Ark Out’s Lift will hit the streets on February 23rd 2024. Get your copy from Bandcamp.
Hailey Niswanger CDs on Amazon
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