Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ron Horton: It's A Gadget World...

406

Ron Horton: It's A Gadget World...

Ron Horton: It's A Gadget World...
Preferring tonal clarity and precise lines, trumpeter Ron Horton eschews the extended manipulations frequently associated with contemporary improvisers. But the warm resonance of his sound and the fluidity of his improvisations ensure that he's never stodgy, as evidenced on this fourth CD as a leader. While the title plays with the notion of preoccupation with the latest electronic toys, the music illustrates the enduring pliability and vibrancy of a taut acoustic quartet.

Often minimal, the tunes have their own character and story, with ample space for improvisation. Ben Allison's syncopated, percussive bass opens the title track, mirrored by Antonio Zambrini's piano and punctuated by trumpet, the melody emerging from the rhythmic line. Horton's solo boasts quirky dynamic shifts and several clarion blasts, while the bassist plays off the groove with funky fills, aided by Tony Moreno's hi-hat. The austere coolness of Horton's flugelhorn colors the delicate piano and open movement of Zambrini's "Gaia," both players unfurling melodic improvs before entering a spirited dialogue that concludes the piece.

Horton adeptly uses subtle gestures for great impact. The slight quaver of his tone imparts emotional depth to the balladic "Waiting for That" while the alternation between fleet runs and single blasts builds the drama of his "Toeing the Line." It begins with pulsing bass and brushed drums, gathering momentum behind the leader with bluesy piano staggering over strutting bass. After the formal introduction of Zambrini's "Old West," a galloping groove springs under Horton's intervallic leaps and swirling lines, his concluding whinny invoking the titular theme. Andrew Hill's "Laverne" is jaunty, with bursts of note clusters forming the melody and provoking a sparring drums and trumpet exchange.

Blending poignancy and wit, Horton's music exudes a sincerity more irresistible than a new gadget.

Track Listing

It's a Gadget World; Gaia; Waiting for That; Shorter; 9x9; Toeing the Line; Old West; Chorale; Laverne.

Personnel

Ron Horton
trumpet

Ron Horton: trumpet, flugelhorn; Antonio Zambrini: piano; Ben Allison: double-bass; Tony Moreno: drums.

Album information

Title: It's A Gadget World... | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Abeat Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.