Teymur Phell: Master Volume
Refreshingly, after that blistering opener, Phell is equally willing to scale back the fireworks and serve the groove when that's best. The crew on Master Volume is as sharp and slick as the all-original songs, wailing through rock-ish jams and jazzy swing alike. One highlight, "Worth the Wait," harks back to Weather Report's catchiest point circa Heavy Weather (Columbia, 1976), while a couple of dreamier moments lean on saxophone and keys without any unduly excessive smoothness.
Even the closing piano-led jaunt of "Blues for Who?" sounds too cheerful to be hinting at any blues. Phell's tireless New York City attitude is as fiercely hard-hitting and upbeat as his low-end work throughout. It's an apt close to a relentlessly bright and colorful affair. This party is the kind which screams big city and bright lightsthe kind that isn't worried about waking up the neighbors because they aren't going to bed until the night's mostly gone either.
Track Listing
Zero to Sixty; Papano Kimono; Old Window; Master Volume; Worth the Wait; Unfinished Business; Hayvanhana; Sweet Sweep; Chances Are; Blues for Who?.
Personnel
Teymur Phell: bass, electric; Nitzan Gavrieli: piano; Chad Lefkowitz-Brown: saxophone, tenor; Mike Stern: guitar, electric; Lionel Cordew: drums; Dennis Chambers: drums; Daniel Sadownick: percussion; Itai Kriss: flute; Albert Leusink: trumpet; Brian Bonvissuto: trombone; Wisam Khoury: bongos.
Album information
Title: Master Volume | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Self Produced