Christian Dillingham: Cascades

Chicago bassist Christian Dillingham is a truly versatile musician. In addition to excelling at various genres, including jazz, western classical and gospel, he appeared on singer Kirk Franklin's Grammy winner Long Live Love (RCA 2019). Dillingham is also an accomplished educator, composer and bandleader. He demonstrates these skills as he leads his quartet on his debut Cascades, a cohesive and original work which is intense, thought-provoking, and soulful.

A dramatic ambiance permeates the captivating "South State Line Road"; as Dillingham and drummer Greg Artry lay down a rumbling backdrop, guitarist Dave Miller states the main theme with wistful lyricism and, after the entry of saxophonist Lenard Simpson, a potent spirituality envelopes the simmering tune. Miller embellishes the melody with sparse resonant chords which, together with Simpson's introspective lines, enhance the performance's mystique.

Dovetailing into the above is the angsty and poignant "One Breath" which maintains some of the motifs of its predecessor yet is freer, with a measured flirtation with dissonance; an ensemble piece of four moving threads, it coalesces into a riotous protest. Artry's drums thunder, Dillingham's percussive chords reverberate with anger, while Miller and Simpson interweave long, meandering phrases into an ethereal yet gritty improvisation. The result is a dynamic kaleidoscope of sound and emotion.

The majority of the album consists of this type of collective interplay, rather than individual solos connected by bridges and heads. Yet there are moments where each band member stretches out with virtuosity and elegance. Miller showcases his crisp eloquence on the highly accessible "Undulation" while, on the same track, Simpson blows a spontaneous and poetic melody with exuberance and agility. DIllingham himself stretches out on a melancholic extemporization on the achingly beautiful ballad "Someday Soon"

With the mature and deftly crafted Cascades Dillingham starts off his own recording career with aplomb. The intricacy of his compositions, the cohesiveness of the work, and the vibrancy of his and his sidemen's interpretations are what make this a gem of a release.