Dwayne Clemons: Center of Gravity: Live at Smalls

Copenhagen-based trumpeter Dwayne Clemons is an accomplished musician whose US career trajectory hit a speed bump in the 1990s when he was incarcerated for a narcotics conviction. Fortunately, he caught the attention of pianist and club owner Spike Wilner who encouraged him to come to New York to play. In time, the result was that, in many ways, Smalls became like the home base for Clemons. Center of Gravity: Live at Smalls is the second live album he has completed at the club, a vibrant recording in which Clemons plays homage to jazz's rich lineage while pushing its creative boundaries. For this return engagement, Clemons assembled a terrific band including alto saxophonist Amanda Sedgwick, tenor saxophonist Aaron Johnson, pianist Jinjoo Yoo, bassist Paul Gill and drummer Taro Okamoto. As for Clemons, he is a trumpeter who inhabits his style without rigidity or stifling nostalgia and is nonetheless influenced by Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Navarro, among others.

The ten-track album is an eclectic mix of compositions from bop masters, standards from the Great American Songbook and a couple of originals from a band member. The opener, "Burgundy," is by pianist Barry Harris. Clemons swings along with full-bodied vigour. The title track, "Center of Gravity," is a Sedgwick original, a three- quarter time mover. Clemon's playing has a lyrical quality in keeping with the melody.

Another bop gem is Thelonious Monk's "Hornin' In." It was set up as a two-part front line, with Johnson pitted against Clemons and Sedgwick. That old standby, "I Cover the Waterfront," evokes a nostalgic elegance with Clemon's approach full of warmth and depth.

The album closes with "When I Grow Too Old to Dream," which, according to Clemons, is based on an Arnett Cobb arrangement for tenor saxophone. Enlivened by a sprightly shuffle beat, the band delivers a unison vocal through the lyrics before the members take up the solo challenge. Johnson's full-bodied sound balances Sedgwick's bright and agile lines, while Clemons plays with impeccable phrasing and vibrant clarity. At the same time, Yoo jumps into the fray with her subtle sense of swing.

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