Chris Fagan: Fortune Telling

Saxophonist Chris Fagan traveled well south of the equator—in fact, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2025—to record Fortune Telling, his first album as a leader in almost 30 years. Fagan also changed horns, from alto saxophone on that earlier recording (Signs of Life) to tenor while adding clarinet to the mix (and at times, thanks to overdubbing, playing tenor and clarinet simultaneously).

He does so with a rhythm section that is two parts Brazilian (bassist Matias  Correa, drummer João Di Sabbato) and one part American (guitarist David Rosenblatt). Together they sail easily through eight of Fagan's graceful and pleasant compositions, the rhythm, harmony and temper of which are Brazilian all the way. Even the playlist renders all but one number in Portuguese as well as English.

On the one hand, there is nothing here that is musically displeasing; on the other, neither is there anything that is technically or acoustically challenging. To put it another way, this could be gentle background music at a party or other event. Which is unfortunate, no matter how sincere the intent, as Fagan has far greater musical skills than he is called upon to unveil on this occasion.

The album's opening number (and title song) is smooth and lyrical, coasting forward on a dependable Latin beat as Fagan wields the tenor and clarinet to carry the melody and add counterpoint. While that is a nice starting point, it would have been far more effective if the rest of the album were not so—to be frank—comparable. Yes, there are minor variations in perspective and tempo but hardly enough to raise the session above the norm. The music is good, as are the musicians, but that is about as positive as an appraisal can be. Add to that the fact that Fortune Telling's playing time is a meager 31 minutes and it is difficult to gauge it otherwise.

There was a time when the bossa nova, especially from Brazil, was all the rage on the American jazz scene, as it was fresh and unique to North American ears. That is no longer the case. Today's listener requires more than warmed-over bossa, and even though Fagan and his mates give the music their best shot, they are unable to move it beyond middle ground.