Joe Magnarelli: Concord

Throughout a career spanning over four decades, much of it spent in the trenches of New York City's notoriously competitive jazz scene, trumpeter/flugelhornist Joe Magnarelli has established a distinct identity within the broad parameters of the bop and hard bop idioms. Concord, Magnarelli's third release for the venerable SteepleChase Productions imprint, arguably his finest work in the studio, contains his virtues in spades. The disc's ten tracks serve as a reminder that, for all these years, he has not been running in place, resting on his laurels, or struggling to transcend the influence of past or present masters. All of which begs the question: What makes Magnarelli stand out from the legion of capable players who have charted a similar stylistic course?

To begin, he is a truly inspired interpreter of tunes from the Great American Songbook, offering renditions that honor the songs' structures and melodies and encompass a genuinely personal vision. He employs a full-bodied, clean-sounding tone as a basis for narratives that are honest and forthright. The heads of "It's A Blue World," "Moonlight In Vermont," "Look For The Silver Lining," "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" (plus Thelonious Monk's "Ruby My Dear") contain just the right amount of weight and emphasis, never succumbing to superfluous displays of chops, and devoid of excessive or unnecessary embellishment.

Magnarelli's originals, "Veneration," "Brooklyn," "Patti," "Hargrove (For Roy)" and "Concord," do not take a backseat to the GAS material. They are sturdy, thoughtful, and melodically rich lines that range from straightforward swingers to a bossa nova to Latin-tinged boogaloo, and earn their place amidst the better-known songs.

While Magnarelli's talents as an interpreter of songs and a composer are essential components of the record, his solos, supported by a shrewd rhythm section comprised of pianist Victor Gould, bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Rodney Green, constitute the heart and soul of Concord. Studiously avoiding any excess, he forges a unique, memorable voice out of a variety of ostensibly disparate practices. An abundance of subtleties and small touches vie with longer, spiky phrases and sequences without sacrificing cohesiveness.

Even while executing plenty of notes at brisk tempos on, for example, "Look For The Silver Lining" and "Hargrove (For Roy)," Magnarelli never sounds rushed or in a hurry. "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" features beautifully paced lines, graceful in construction and execution, before he takes off with a fusillade of tones, and then draws back. "Veneration" includes passages that sound like he is pushing hard against a stiff wind. On "Brooklyn," he anticipates and deftly navigates the changes in emphasis from swing to Latin in ways that are pitch- perfect.

Regardless of the context or setting, Magnarelli never sounds pat or predictable. Some of the prominent characteristics of his style include ending a phrase or sequence with a sigh, murmur, or whisper; going from brash to wistful in an instant; subtle changes in dynamics within a single phrase or two; the inclusion of asides and afterthoughts, none of which serve as a distraction or change the direction of the music. Even when he truncates a phrase and unceremoniously moves on, there is no sign of uncertainty or discontinuity. The center always holds. He seldom reaches for protracted climaxes—indeed, destinations are often low-keyed and understated. Whether simple, convoluted, or somewhere in between, his lines always evince a soulfulness that comes across as genuine.

It is thrilling to hear Magnarelli at the top of his game in the company of like-minded peers. Concord consolidates his strengths into one invigorating package.