Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jeff Denson Quartet: Concentric Circles

2

Jeff Denson Quartet: Concentric Circles

By

Sign in to view read count
Jeff Denson Quartet: Concentric Circles
The immediate standout feature of Jeff Denson's group is that he uses a bassoon as the reed instrument. That gives an interesting twist to the quartet's sound.

Denson's compositions are a free-ranging mix of fast-paced progressive jazz and pretty ballads. The nimble, woody tone of Paul Hanson's bassoon gives an intellectual feel to the shifting tempos of pieces like "City Life" and "Look Before You Leap" that suggests the quirky music of old Canterbury Sound jazz-rock bands like Hatfield and the North but his work on "Wishing Well" and "21st Century Blues" proves he can play with a bit of soul as well.

"A Thought That Lingers" and "Time Waits for No One" are attractive ballads that feature Denson's bowed bass prominently alongside Dan Zemelman's sensitive piano. On "Once The Door Opens" the leader sings wordlessly over a lush romantic melody traced out by the piano and bassoon and "Wishing Well" is a full blown pop tune that Denson sings earnestly in a attractive light tenor voice.

There are also more conventional jazz sounds. "Circle" is a charging up-tempo piece with hard swinging piano and "21st Century Blues" has drummer Alan Hall beating out a funky New Orleans based groove for the other musicians to dance over. Denson in particular gets deep into the pocket here and the entire CD closes with a sensitive solo arco bass rendition of Duke Ellington's "I Got It Bad."

Jeff Denson's original-sounding compositions would make this CD stand out in any circumstance but the use of a bassoon makes it even more unique.

Track Listing

City Life on Trains; Anticipation; A Thought That Lingers; Wishing Well; Look Before You Leap; Time Waits for No One; 21st Century Blues; Once the Door Opens; Circle; I Got It Bad.

Personnel

Jeff Denson: double bass, vocals; Paul Hanson: bassoon; Dan Zemelman: piano; Alan Hall: drums.

Album information

Title: Concentric Circles | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Ridgeway Records

Comments

Tags

Concerts


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near San Francisco
Jazz Near San Francisco
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.