Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tyler Blanton: Botanic

143

Tyler Blanton: Botanic

By

Sign in to view read count
Tyler Blanton: Botanic
Vibraphonist and composer Tyler Blanton's debut, Botanic, introduces the young musician as a lyrical and compelling player and composer. Blanton refers to himself as grounded in bebop and straight-ahead, but open to other approaches, a description that matches this eclectic collection of tunes.

When Blanton solos his qualities as a player are clear, helped by the excellent production quality on the album, recorded at Brooklyn's Systems Two Studio. His playing style is melodic, bright and emotionally upbeat, matched by his compositional approach, which similarly favors melody, swing and optimism.

Blanton's unaccompanied opening to "Already Here" suggests the strong influence of the Modern Jazz Quartet and its vibraphonist, Milt Jackson. There is a classical feel to the tune, and Blanton's playing is lyrical, if a little restrained. However, when bassist Dan Loomis and drummer Jared Schonig enter to kick the tune up a gear it becomes more up-tempo and swinging. The album's other trio performance is "Little Two," a beautifully played piece, but one that feels more like an extended solo than a distinct tune.

Saxophonist Joel Frahm adds contrast and color to the rest of the tunes, his soft-toned playing on both tenor and soprano an effective counterpoint to Blanton's brighter-sounding vibes. His soprano work on the boppy "Good Ol' Joel" is breezily good-natured and warm, his tenor on "Foreshadowing" more reflective and thoughtful. In both cases, he captures the mood of the piece with precision and inventiveness.

Blanton opens and closes "Mellow Afternoon" alone, his instrument ringing out with a beautifully crystalline sound, and the vibraphonist demonstrating the confidence and control to leave plenty of space in his playing, reflecting the mellowness of the title. The rhythm section for "Mellow Afternoon" is bassist Aidan Carroll and drummer Richie Barshay, both musicians playing in a soft, floating style that is crucial to the tune's atmosphere.

Botanic is a fine and, at times, inspired debut from Blanton. Engaging and optimistic tunes, and warm, lyrical performances, are surefire ingredients for success: Botanic has them both.

Track Listing

Already Here; Botanic; Good Ol' Joel; Foreshadowing; Mellow Afternoon; Little Two; Hemming and Hawing; Vestibule.

Personnel

Tyler Blanton
vibraphone

Tyler Blanton: vibraphone; Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Dan Loomis: bass; Jared Schonig: drums; Aidan Carroll: bass (5, 8); Richie Barshay: drums (5, 8).

Album information

Title: Botanic | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.