Joshua Rager

Joshua Rager Nonet: Jondo

by Jack Bowers
September 21, 2017

It's hard to decide what to make of this. Canadian-based composer / pianist Joshua Rager has assembled a splendid corps of musicians, nine in all (plus trumpeter Andy King on the three-part “Prodigal Son Suite"), to perform seven of the leader's original themes, one by Andre White and another by the Hollywood songwriting team of Al Dubin and Harry Warren. Rager writes well, perhaps a touch too well, as much of the music veers more toward scholarly than spontaneous, almost ...