Marshal Herridge: Chapter One

Marshal Herridge is a young bassist from Montreal who here releases his first CD, a set of energetic mainstream jazz, with a band containing three local musicians: guitarist Sam Kirmayer, pianist André White and drummer Guillaume Pilote.

Herridge wrote all the music using a variety of familiar approaches. "HerridgeIn" has a brisk boppish melody attacked by the entire group in a lively manner, with Herridge's bowing standing out both in the opening theme statement and eventual solo. The leader also dominates the swinging shuffle "Helga," with his pizzicato work melodically bulging and booming like Red Mitchell, and conceives "Wonderland" as a swirling waltz feature for his bass, with White also getting in a graceful piano solo.

"I Should Have Said" and "Lee-Ann" are lovely, resonant spotlights for the interplay between White and Kirmayer. The former is a tango-influenced ballad with guitar bending around romantic piano and the latter is a straight-ahead ballad that has Kirmayer's drawn-out, high pitched single note line in the foreground.

Like most jazz musicians, these gentlemen pay their dutiful attention to the blues. "Blues For Paul" is an up-tempo version with fast bass walking underpinning flinty guitar chords and dazzling piano on a simple r'n'b groove while "Chippin" is a slow blues that features Kirmayer's and White's easy-strolling unison stepping and Herridge's loping bass line.

Kirmayer's playing is a constant highlight of the session. He has a slick but earthy sound that slips easily through bop, blues and ballad changes with the facility of 1950s' masters like Tal Farlow and Herb Ellis. White is a strong pianist and Herridge makes a fine supportive rhythm section with Pilote as well as a strong soloist. This is a very good opening showcase for Marshal Herridge's playing and writing abilities that shows he is a promising presence in the jazz world.