Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mara Rosenbloom Quartet: School of Fish

290

Mara Rosenbloom Quartet: School of Fish

By

Sign in to view read count
Mara Rosenbloom Quartet: School of Fish
Music, at its best, is about seeing and feeling things that are well-known in a new way, making them pleasing to the intellect and heart. It's about placing familiar things in an unfamiliar context.

Taking the cover to Wisconsin-born pianist Mara Rosenbloom's album as an example, School of Fish is adorned by a fish painted on woodwork with the eye of the fish being a part of the wood's natural texture. Here, an aquatic animal is taken out of its natural element and placed in a different context and it works: the fish is seen in a whole new and humorous way.

Just as the cover plays with the well-known perception of how things usually are, Rosenbloom renews the trite formulas of jazz with sparkling compositions that are both lyrically contemplative and rhythmically pulsating.

It is easy to follow the melodic thread of her thought, and yet there are constant and unexpected detours, making the music both accessible and intellectually satisfying. As a player Rosenbloom is equally fascinating—changing tempi, using rollicking licks and blocks of chords. There are traces of her former teacher Kenny Werner as well as McCoy Tyner, but the final expression is all her own.

Bloom has enlisted a top-notch team of young musicians who understand how the music works and are able to follow every twist and turn. Bassist Isaac Jaffe has all the groovy elasticity necessary to encompass the melodic complexity of compositions like the opening "Arrival" and "Passage," with their bouncing rhythms. For that purpose, drummer Nick Anderson is also the ideal timekeeper with his light, sophisticated playing making the music dance.

Darius Jones is an instrumental master; from the velvety vulnerability of "Subtle Pressure" to the intense climax of "Six," he plays across his saxophone's entire register.

This quartet plays music that renders believable the future of jazz. As both a player and composer, Rosenbloom is already singular and ahead of those players satisfied to reside in the dull water of familiar elements.

Track Listing

Arrival; Subtle Pressure; Passage; Ellipsis; Departure; Six.

Personnel

Mara Rosenbloom: piano; Darius Jones: alto saxophone; Isaac Jaffe: bass; Nick Anderson: drums.

Album information

Title: School of Fish | Year Released: 2009 | 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.