Scott Colley: Initial Wisdom (2002)

Jim Santella

Senior Contributor since 1997

Jim Santella has been contributing CD reviews, concert reviews and DVD reviews to AAJ since 1997. His work has also appeared in Southland Blues, The L.A. Jazz Scene, and Cadence Magazine.

Recent articles (1,677 total)

Published: July 1, 2002

At 38, Scott Colley is poised to find new directions in jazz. Hip-hop rhythms and New Orleans shuffles coexist side by side on this quartet album of originals and extras. Graceful melodic lines and seamless phrasing tie the pieces together. Each of the four artists stretches out with a loose framework that links up automatically with that of the others. Drummer Bill Stewart drives the quartet with force, while guitarist Adam Rogers fills in an encompassing harmonic aura. Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and bassist Colley fuse their melodic lines gracefully. Some overdubbing allows the session to grow even larger. Harmony and melody wander through changing landscapes that originate amid jazz's traditional roots and drive beyond the norm to more contemporary moods. One selection, "Trip," places the quartet in a group improvisation setting, where each artist works independently. Unlike most group meetings, this one piece finds each doing his own thing. The result is a combination of mood music for four. Elsewhere, ensemble and solo work reveals a deep respect for melody and conservative interplay.

Track Listing: The Susser; Scorpios; Far Rockaway; Alpha; Trip; Trouble in Paradise; Barracudas; Eccentric Circles; Rubber Clock.

Personnel: Scott Colley: bass; Ravi Coltrane: tenor and soprano saxophone; Adam Rogers: guitars; Bill Stewart: drums.

Record Label: Palmetto Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream