Ingrid Jensen: Landings

On Landings, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen convenes a quartet that thrives on speed and alertness. With organist Gary Versace, guitarist Marvin Sewell, and drummer Jon Wikan, she leads a band capable of sharp turns and open-road lyricism in the same breath. The music feels meticulously shaped yet gloriously unbound; an ensemble language forged in deep listening and shared risk.

The album starts with a historic moment as 89-year-old tenor legend George Coleman joins in for his own composition "Amsterdam After Dark." Jensen kicks off with a bold statement of the theme, followed by Coleman's arrival, bringing a wave of soul and seasoned energy. His strong, earthy, commanding tone sparks Jensen, Versace, and Sewell into passionate dialogue, a reminder of the heritage that influences this music. Jensen's "New Body" begins quietly and introspectively, with Jensen's opening figures stating the theme underpinned by Sewell's fretwork. Gradually, Jensen's solo rises in bright, clear phrases with Versace bending notes against the harmony.

A respectful nod to pianist Carla Bley is conveyed through "Ida Lupino," a notable filmmaker of the 1950s. The quartet honours the tune's lyricism while exploring it with subtle passages. Jensen balances elegance and edge, and the rhythm section keeps the line lively. "Handmaidens Tale" takes its name from Canadian author Margaret Atwood's futuristic novel The Handmaid's Tale and accordingly shifts the palette. The piece unfolds as a study in tension and release, with Jensen's open horn carrying a daring, searching quality. With only Versace on piano, he colours the harmony with subtle registrations evoking a modernist shimmer.

The title track, "Landings," feels like a journey finally reaching a destination after an auditory exploration. Jensen performs her statements in the trumpet's upper register, shaping her phrases with clarity. Sewell and Versace move smoothly across the harmonic landscape, responding with lively counterlines. The quartet concludes together with quiet confidence.

Jim Knapp's "Home" concludes the program with a relaxed, confident pace, suggesting both forward movement and restfulness. Jensen approaches the theme with natural lyricism. Her tone is smooth and centred, with a lightly used vibrato. Knapp has long preferred harmonies that expand rather than restrict, and here the melody develops within wide intervals. Versace's organ work is just as vital, and instead of dominating the texture, he shapes the harmonic landscape with subtle registrations. The album turns structured frameworks into something fluid, surprising, and vibrant, with Jensen confirming her place among today's key trumpet voices.