Greg Chako Trio: Life After 40

Cincinnati-born jazz guitarist and international recording artist Greg Chako wears many hats including composer, arranger, educator and band leader. Chako has forged an extraordinary career spanning over thirty-five years in which he has recorded sixteen albums. Life After 40 is a follow-up to previous studio recordings Friends, Old & New (Mint 400 Records 2022) and A Place for Bass-Chamber Jazz Duets (Mint 400 Records 2022) marking a new chapter in his life, recording in the US after his return from the Far East where the guitarist lived, performed and produced the majority of his discography.

On this album, Chako is joined by musicians he regularly works with in the Cincinnati area, including bassist Mason Daugherty and drummer Michael Meloy forming the core of the Greg Chako Trio. The band is augmented by the addition of former Miles Davis percussionist Steve Thornton (whom Chako performed and recorded with while living in Asia) and pianist Wayne Yeager on several tracks. Having a long affinity for the Latin side of jazz, Chako originally penned the music for a possible recording date in Miami, FL which, did not pan out as originally intended.

Offering ten new original compositions with a Latin flair, the music here is all light and mellow, infused with a Latin jazz-styled percussive foundation and groove. The program begins with the warm and sensuous "Jayflower" which, along with tune "Jay All Day," are compositions dedicated to the guitarist's lovely wife Jay. The title track "Life After 40" is a balladic piece conveying a message that life can move a bit slower after one reaches 40 and features marvelous bass lines and solos from Daugherty accompanying the leader's warm guitar on a splendid piece.

Everything is not all warm and fuzzy as "Changes" reveals, the change in the pace of the music presenting a perky fast-moving melody as the band is joined by Yeager on keys for the first time, along with Thornton's percussions and the drummer weighing in with smart solos of his own; this is one chart that qualifies as a shoulder-shaking swing.

The Brazilian genre becomes part of the session on the delicious "Bass-in' Mason Bossa" where Chako and the bassist share the lead on a delightful delicate bossa nova number. The original "Jaime's Waltz," featuring Daugherty and Yeager on pronounced solos, was the very first song penned for this album and happens to be the leader's favorite composition of this project. It is a tip of the hat to Miami bassist Jamie Ousley whom the guitarist plans to record with in the future. "Love for Latin," and "Miami Ballad" are two homages to Chako's love of Latin rhythms and his enchantment with Miami.

The funky side of the music comes to the fore on the finale "Funky Eyes," in which the band shifts gears away from the main Latin theme and lets it all hang out with a bang-up funky performance. An unquestioned world-class guitarist, Greg Chako is also a prolific and talented composer as evidenced by the amazing music produced on Life After 40 an album containing a bit of mainstream, a lot of Latin and a touch of funk. What's not to like?

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