Jerome Sabbagh: Purity Of Intent

The extent to which a musician expends effort to develop his own voice usually correlates to the depth of expression that eventually emanates from the personal style thereof. So it is with saxophonist/composer/bandleader Jerome Sabbagh who, in the years he has spent nurturing his profile in the New York City jazz world, has concentrated on learning from a diversity of musicians in a variety of settings. Having thus played with rhythm experts Paul Motian, Bill Stewart and Rudy Royston and worked with a number of record companies including Sunnyside Records, he has now established his very own Analog Tone Factory label. The appearance of both these studio albums in Sabbagh's name under that imprimatur suggests how its mechanics actually aids in honing its founder's creative output: the purity of intent in the craft is a direct reflection of the delicious simplicity of the musicianship that speaks volumes.

Jerome Sabbagh
Heart
Analog Tone Factory
2024

No doubt playing in the company of long-time bassist Joe Martin figures into how Sabbagh flourishes in the bare-bones trio concept of Heart. But there is also the presence of the redoubtable drummer Al Foster who figures prominently into the unhurried dialogue that unfolds over the course of these eight tracks. The air of quiet liberation in cuts such as Wayne Shorter's "ESP" corresponds to the courage the foursome displays in two wholly improvised pieces "Lead The Way" and "Right The First Time," recorded direct to tape like the other half-dozen cuts by producer James Farber, that pair of impromptu excursions are juxtaposed with an original of the bandleader's—not surprisingly, the title song—plus selections by Duke Ellington ("Prelude to A Kiss") and Benny Carter ("When Lights Are Low"). Taken together, the array of selections render this forty-some minute record as well-rounded as the musicians who created it.

Jerome Sabbagh
Stand Up!
Analog Tone Factory
2025

This album title is not only indicative of Sabbagh's willingness to stretch himself, but also the encouragement he offers his collaborators to challenge themselves. A consistently assertive pace here is thus no surprise, any more so than how all four players find space to inhabit, then share: guitarist Ben Monder, for instance, picks precisely and tunefully on "Lone Jack," before embarking on formulating an adventurous solo that ultimately renders Sabbagh's following spotlight the essence of tranquility. Each rendering of these originals opens up additional room to move too, so there are no instrumental collisions during either the languid "Michelle's Song" or the peppier "Lunar Cycle;" in fact, this quartet—again with the aforementioned Martin but also drummer Nasheet Waits—configures each of these eight tracks as a complete statement unto itself as well as a component of the long-player: whether the playing time is three minutes ("Mosh Pit") or close to twice that length ("Unbowed"), each number mirrors the humble generosity of spirit permeating this deceptively forceful musicianship.

Tracks and Personnel

Heart

Tracks: Prelude To A Kiss; ESP; Heart; Gone With The Wind; Right The First Time; When Lights Are Low; Lead The Way; Body And Soul.

Personnel: Jerome Sabbagh: tenor saxophone; Joe Martin: bass; Al Foster: Drums.

Stand Up!

Tracks: Lone Jack (For Ray Charles And Pete Rende); Michelle'S Song (For Michelle Egan); Lunar Cycle (For Sam Rivers); The Break Song (For Stevie Wonder); High Falls (For Meaghan Glennan); Mosh Pit (For Trent Reznor); Vanguard (For Paul Motian); Unbowed (For Kenny Barron).

Personnel: Jerome Sabbagh: tenor saxophone; Ben Monder: guitar; Joe Martin: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

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