Joan Fort: Hangin' In

Hangin' In is the second recording under his name by Spanish-born, Netherlands-based guitarist Joan Fort who shows on every one of the album's nine radiant and alluring themes—six of which he wrote—why his star is rapidly rising in the jazz world at large.

Fort, who was not yet thirty years old when the album was recorded, already boasts an impressive resume that includes co-leadership of the Amsterdam-based collective Dam Jawn. Even more notable are Fort's remarkable command of the guitar and his broad yet personal improvisational mindset, placing those assets in the service of a smooth and lyrical design that should please anyone who appreciates the guitar's melodious and pliable aspects.

Fort oversees a sharp and resilient session here, one whose import is greatly enhanced on five numbers by the imposing presence of tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart whose name and talents would brighten any marquee. The other members of Fort's core quartet (pianist Michael Weiss, bassist David Wong, drummer Aaron Kimmel) play in that same league, lending Fort the kind of snug and reliable support that makes unplanned give-and-take a pleasure.

Fort's nimble "Javastraat" is a splendid opener, humming briskly along behind avid solos by Stewart, Fort and Weiss, who then trade vigorous eight-bar salvos with Kimmel. A second tenor, Daniel Cohen, makes his lone appearance on "A Day at the Kings County" (following a dazzling introduction by Fort's solo guitar), and to note that he is a delightful surprise and a pleasure to hear would be an explicit understatement. While he is more low-key and orderly than Stewart, Cohen nevertheless makes his musical points with insight and assurance.

Stewart returns on the high-stepping "5 in 1 Flat," soloing with his usual elegance and zeal, then steps aside for the quartet on Fort's waltz-like and even-tempered "Miradouro de Pederneira." Hank Mobley's dynamic "Up, Over and Out" brings back the cavalry, with Stewart and Weiss leading the charge and everyone else driving the rhythmic engine. Fort's lighthearted title song is a handsome showcase for the quartet and a suitable prelude to his medium-paced charmer, "TJI." Stewart sparkles there, as elsewhere, then hands the reins to Fort and the rhythm section for George Shearing's "She" before taking one last admirable bow on the fast-paced finale, Kenny Garrett's bop-flavored "Philly Twist," on which Kimmel imparts the decisive crescendo.

Even though Fort suggests that he and his teammates are merely Hangin' In, the undeniable truth is that they are doing far more than that by whatever measure one chooses. This is an album that has been meticulously planned to awaken and satisfy the listener's musical and emotional needs, and it does so with dexterity and charm.