Art Baden: How Much of It Is Real

Continuing its well-established mission of documenting some of the noteworthy Russian musicians in today's jazz, the Rainy Days label offers another up-and-comer, tenor saxophonist Art Baden. Joined by three seasoned veterans, Baden provides both fire and sensitivity on his debut disc, How Much of It Is Real—and it is a promising effort all-around.

Bassist Jay Anderson, vibraphonist Joe Locke and drummer Jeff Tain Watts will need no introduction to serious followers of mainstream jazz, and they give Baden the steady foundation he needs for his thoughtful compositions, which straddle the line between passionate intensity and subtle introspection. Watts brings his inimitable punchiness to the surging opener, "4th Cycle," with Baden's saxophone sharing space with his flute and bass clarinet (thanks to overdubbing) in announcing the theme, before he turns exclusively to his sax for a wide-ranging enlivening solo. Watts expertly drives the group forward, and one can readily hear the way his crackling fills catalyze Baden's more tempestuous moments. Locke's shimmering contributions serve as rich harmonic support throughout the album, but he also turns in a marvelous, blues-drenched solo on "Animal Intelligence," and he authors one of the album's seven compositions as well, "Silky," featuring a gently poignant theme and another opportunity for Baden to overdub his bass clarinet and flute.

Baden has a strong voice on his tenor saxophone, with a compelling lyrical quality that takes some of the edge off his unruly side—so one can wonder whether the occasionally distracting overdubbing is really necessary here, particularly as it is clear that the saxophone is Baden's primary axe. Listening to him shredding his tenor on the up-tempo burner "Chaotic Neutral" should remove any suspicions that he needs additional instrumentation to fill out the quartet's sound. It also seems apparent that Baden is still finding his footing as a composer, as the title track ballad feels too brief, meandering its way to a finish after a mere two-and-a-half minutes despite having an alluring melody.

Slight shortcomings notwithstanding, Baden's first release displays plenty of ambition and verve, and it holds up rather well among 2024's crop of debut arrivals.

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