Joey Alexander: Celestial Keeper

Joey Alexander may no longer qualify as a prodigy, but his skills as a pianist and composer remain prodigious. The bell-like clarity of the notes ringing out at the outset of "Bemused (solo improv 1)" augurs as much for Celestial Keeper as it does for the now 22-year-old, who follows suit throughout the album.

In fact, guest intervals that might otherwise stand as interruptions in the flow of work with his trio of bassist Kris Funn and drummer Jonathan Barber—appearances by vocalists Lisa Fischer and Alita Moses plus saxophonist Jaleel Shaw—end up pacing the album in the most positive sense. 

No doubt producer Jason Olaine, who also worked on Alexander's debut album, My Favorite Things (Motema, 2015), had input on the sequence of tracks. But the overall ebb and flow would not be so readily discernible if not for the potency of the performances by the guests as well as the core ensemble. 

In fact, the trio's turn with Shaw, (ironically?) titled "Aversion," captures the foursome in speedy interactions as if in the midst of a full- fledged, extended improvisation. As such, it stands out in marked contrast to the feathery-light textures with which it is juxtaposed: for "Whispers of Love," Moses contours her singing to the piano as if her voice is actually emanating from the ivories. 

And for those used to hearing Fischer belt it out with the The Rolling Stones for so many years, the self-restraint she applies on "My Funny Valentine" is illustrative of her versatility as a singer: her vocal lines define wispy, while the choice of song itself reaffirms the bandleader's firm grasp of his jazz roots going back to the aforementioned first longplayer of his.

Neither of the two spotlights reserved for Bali native Alexander is a mere placeholder, but instead valid tracks unto themselves within the ten total running around forty-five minutes. Likewise, the use of electric piano on the fittingly-titled "Deep Calls to Deep." This cut is no mere novelty, but rather an opportunity for Alexander to use that instrument to shine the light(s) of its warm, bright notes on Shaw's horn lines. 

Joey Alexander is nothing if not empathetic, and as he exhibits that virtue throughout Celestial Keeper on selections like the engrossing "As Far As The Eye Can See," he bonds with those kindred spirits collaborating with him and, by extension, those like-minded souls listening to him.