On Remembrance, Grammy award winning bassist John Patitucci teams up with saxophonist Joe Lovano and drummer Brian Blad to pay tribute to Jazz greats, both past and present. The trio first clicked when Patitucci was rehearsing pieces for his 2001 recording, Communion and the pianist wasn’t able to attend. This meeting sparked the notion of creating a full length album, which came to fruition upon the release of Remembrance.
“Monk/Trane,” the first track from the record instantly transports the listener to a smoky Jazz club with its deep bass and energetic saxophone influences which waver throughout the track in a delectable manner. The blend gets funkier on “Messaien’s Gumbo” with a heavier drum presence and sharper saxophone inserts that are encapsulated by rhythmic drumming that shifts itself from soft background accompaniment to jamming alongside in the foreground. “Sonny Side” follows, sounding like it was created on a lazy Sunday morning with its relaxed feel and gentle bass pacing.
“Mali” finds itself referencing the exotic rhythms created by Malian guitarist Ali Farka Toure, whose album Talking Timbuktu, featured Patitucci. The song is a well received addition to the record with its lively combination of drumming and saxophone notes. “Safari” further explores outside influences where rustling percussion instruments play side-by-side with wounded saxophone and drum presences.
Patitucci also experiments as seen on the moody landscapes introduced in “Scenes from an Opera” and the swaying “Joe Hen.” The beckoning “Blues for Freddie” with its feisty saxophone notes and rolling drumming collides in bold contrasts. The album finishes with the soft and somber “Remembrance” played solely by Patitucci, closing out a wonderfully mixed and bold collection of Jazz tunes that plays both on the bold and smooth sides of the genre. As the seventh album released through Concord Music Group, Remembrance will please Jazz fans and occasional listeners alike, with its unassuming and intelligent cadence that showcases three musicians in their prime.
Rukshan Thenuwara – MuzikReviews.com Staff
August 20, 2009
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