Markus Rutz: Many Moons

Orson Welles once quipped, "I'm not such a fool as to not take the moon seriously." Journeyman Chicago trumpeter Markus Rutz takes this sentiment to heart with his fine recording, Many Moons, which finds him under the spell of our silvery satellite, leveraging it as a muse for the passage of time and a melancholy reflection of life's varied chapters.

Vacillating from judiciously selected covers (Van Morrison's "Moondance"), catchy originals ("Penumbra") and jazz standards ("Blue Moon" and "Blue Skies"), Many Moons will be a real revelation for those not familiar with his work. Rutz's crisp tone, graceful solos and economical phrasing are reminiscent of Kenny Dorham and Art Farmer. Meanwhile, his passion is matched by a highly skilled band of Windy City jazz artists who excel on all fronts.

The recording kicks off with "Penumbra," a catchy 12 bar Rutz original with memorable bop-ish theme elegantly stated by Matt Gold on guitar and then played in unison. It features bright solos by all, but a particularly terrific break by Adrian Ruiz on piano. The piece is reminiscent of the kind of hard bop compositions that tenor great Ricky Ford used to put out in the '80s.

"Asso-Kam" is an up-tempo, funky number with agile trade-offs, bold tones and gritty blues by Gold. "Before We Met" and "On the Bosrand" are the softer cuts. They feature gorgeous, fluid work by Rutz as well as pillow-soft electric piano providing a harmonic cushion, all while giving Gold ample room to shine.

The centerpiece and title track of the CD, "Many Moons," begins in an elegiac mood but shifts to a straight 4/4 tempo, finally culminating to passionate crescendos and a lovely outro. Rutz is splendid on the Rogers & Hart standard, "Blue Moon," with a sound reminiscent of the kind carefree spirit that Ruby Braff used to bring to jazz standards.

"Time to Spare" is terrific slow burner featuring terse, muscular soloing by Bruce Winston on tenor and sparkling piano by Ruiz, closing with a joyous saxophone cutting contest.

All told, whether waxing or waning in intensity, Rutz's wide range of tones and textures on Many Moons combine to create a palette of modernist jazz that is memorable and engaging from beginning to end.