Jon Irabagon: Rising Sun

Since his days with bassist Moppa Elliott's maddeningly inventive Mostly Other People Do the Killing, first-generation Filipino-American saxophonist Jon Irabagon has seemed to be on the periphery of the larger jazz world looking in. His big surging tone instantly and reverently recalls late era John Coltrane and has been associated with fellow adventurers Dave Douglas, Ralph Alessi, and a host of guitarist Mary Halvorson's musical configurations. With Rising Sun Irabagon sets his sights on getting his sound and vision out to a wider audience.

Inspired by the spiritual immensity and sanctity of America's Great Southwest, Irabagon (pictured on the album praising the big sky in Utah's Capitol Reef National Park) assembles what is undoubtedly his fiercest and most fearless ensemble since the propulsive slice of modern avant-garde Outright! Unhinged (Irabbagast Records, 2012). Playing in league this time with Irabagon is pianist Matt Mitchell, whose angular juxtapositions and loose limbed, discordant comping both rival and compliment the saxophonist's manic, spiraling turns while drummer Dan Weiss and bassist Chris Lightcap hold the mad, racing tempos.

"Sundance," Rising Sun's full steam ahead, cloud-busting opener, is a big bebop reverie with maximum energy to burn. Mitchell and Irabagon are in full flight from the get-go, whipping past each other, careening, banking, chasing the sunrise across the vast western landscape. Ditto the feverish, pulse pounding house-of-mirrors tenacity of "Alliance." "Hoodootoo" springs to life via a quirky horn pattern that Weiss then brings to a march only to have guest guitarist Miles Okazaki shred and bristle the blues to its elusive conclusion. Okazaki adds skittering excitement to the raucous fusion of the title track as well.

Borrowing from his 2021 solo outing in the desert, Bird With Steams (Irrabagast), Irabagon brings Dizzy Gillespie's era-shaping "Bebop" to the band for an actively combustible take. On "Mammoth" and the rousing closer "Needles," trumpeter Adam O'Farrill adds his muted tones to the rich density and texture of Irabagon's swirling, many tiered compositions. In closing, Rising Sun may well be Jon Irabagon's defining statement. For now. Stay tuned.

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