Horizon Trio: Horizon

When it is time to lay the cares of the day aside and relax into music infused with contemplative, tranquil beauty, be sure to seek out the Horizon Trio's self-titled debut. On 14 inviting compositions, trumpeter-flugelhornist Garrett Folger and his partners, pianist Anthony Fuoco and drummer Carmen Castaldi, provide balm for the soul. Already a rising presence in Cleveland jazz, this promising release should work to lift Folger's profile still further.

Castaldi is the best-known name here, having been a part of Joe Lovano's Trio Tapestry since 2019, wherein the drummer's expansive empathetic approach to the kit allows him to blend in as a co-equal contributor rather than merely as a conventional keeper of time. He is also perfectly suited for Folger's music, which has an understated elegance that would otherwise be threatened by an overbearing drummer. Fuoco, too, is able to complement Folger's intrinsic lyricism beautifully, whether interweaving lines with the leader or offering just the right contrast to add interest to each piece.

At more than 70 minutes, there is a lot of music here, strikingly so for a debut recording. It is clear that Folger has a lot of things to say, and the pieces are often gorgeous in their subtle shadings and multihued layers. The pensive opener, "Ephemerōs," moves at an achingly slow pace, unfolding so gradually that it demands one's full attention to appreciate its oblique nuances. The delicate conversation that emerges between all three players helps to anchor the piece amidst its tendency toward abstraction. Elsewhere, Folger's tuneful instincts prevail, as "IO" and "Mais I'Aube Approche" trace their poignant melodies with a gentle radiance. And "For M" is a lovely waltz, with Folger at his most lyrical.

Only rarely does the album veer from its melancholy temperament. There is some playfulness in "Duo," a freely-improvised piece with just Folger and Cataldi, and "Three Lines" has a jaunty sensibility with an occasional hint of Thelonious Monk in it. But for the most part, Folger's music stays within its relatively placid comfort zone, and that is all to the good—especially for those moments in which a calming respite from the world's madness is what is most needed.

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