Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ralph Alessi & This Against That: Look

323

Ralph Alessi & This Against That: Look

By

View read count
Ralph Alessi & This Against That: Look
Like the angelic blast of Gabriel's horn, trumpeter Ralph Alessi plays his mortal trumpet with exhilaration and sublime finesse. A popular session player, he has heightened recordings like Scott Colley's Archtiect of the Silent Moment (CamJazz, 2007) and Simone Guiducci's Dancin' Roots (Felmay, 2005).

Alessi's own recordings as a leader—including Vice & Virtue (RKM, 2003) and This Against That/Vice & Virtue (RKM, 2002) —are obscure gems of eclectic music; but Look is an outstanding work of intellect and fire, showing what a progressive trumpeter sounds like without gimmicks or effects. A man, his horn, and a band—complete in its creative element.

Alessi's quartet of leading players includes the unsung, talented pianist Andy Milne and the superb rhythm section of bassist Drew Gress and drummer Mark Ferber; plus, on four tracks, a special guest: saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. The group is excellent at executing Alessi's eclectic and original pieces and making them enjoyable and seductively challenging.

The leader's strength as a trumpeter is obvious, but another attribute that surfaces is his ability as a composer, which includes a gift for tying disparate threads of jazz, avant-garde, and classical persuasions into a vibrant work of contemporary music. Some tunes are ostensibly simplistic yet harmonically complex, like "Near Cry, where Alessi solos hotly over a tricky vamp. Other times there's a repeating phrase, as on "At the Seams, where Gress and Ferber not only sustain the effervescence but also contribute their own voices.

Alessi's classical background is an asset to the music, adding interesting perspectives on pieces like "Hands, where Milne's piano provides an elegant atmosphere. The music also traverses the unfamiliar on "The Tooth Fairy and Pistol Pete as the band explores a dream-like motif.

Coltrane's saxophone may only appear on four compositions, but his presence is memorable, whether sharing rich harmonies with Alessi's trumpet on "It's Just a Toy, delivering a wonderful solo on "Platform Velvet, or playing the charismatic intro on "Old Beady Eyes.

The title sums it up. Look is an exceptional work by one today's top trumpet players.

Track Listing

Near Cry; It's Just a Toy; At the Seams; Hands; The Tooth Fairy and Pistol Pete; Lap Nap; Brown Hat; Look; Words, Actions; Platform Velvet; Old Beady Eyes; Sir.

Personnel

Ralph Alessi
trumpet

Ralph Alessi: trumpet, flugelhorn; Andy Milne: piano; Drew Gress: bass; Mark Ferber: drums; Ravi Coltrane: tenor saxophone (2,8,10,11).

Album information

Title: Look | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Between the Lines

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.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

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.