Brad Goode: Nature Boy

Trumpeter Goode is one of those musicians for whom the post-bop continuum fits like the proverbial glove. In the still far from overdone setting of trumpet and rhythm section he brings something fresh, to pieces such as the title track and "I Remember You." Both almost literally qualify for the term venerable and do indeed in view of the number of times they've found their way onto record.

Goode's muted playing on the last of these, exudes a restless air which amongst other things serves to keep him at odds with pianist Jeff Jenkins's elegant urbanity; indeed it serves to indicate just how much life there can still be in that equally venerable notion of tension and release.

Discussion of the significance of a title such as "Nightmare Of The Mechanized World" falls outside the remit of a CD review, especially when the piece in question is an example of just what a distinctive composer Goode can be. The piece is anything but a perfunctory line for blowing on and Goode's trumpet tone is good and true, even whilst he doesn't employ it to woo the listener as such. The impression is of a musician who thinks deeply about his music without imparting it with the kind of intellectual sheen that by no means guarantees rewarding listening.

"Celedon" is another Goode original and it underscores the point made above. One can only admire the shading of his lines on this one, even whilst it's largely a vehicle for Jenkins and bassist Johannes Weidenmueller, both of whom show how alert they are to the harmonic riches the piece has to offer.

Goode has what it takes to entitle one of his originals "No Idea," but this is nothing but misleading. The results speak so readily of an entirely empathetic group, in which drummer Todd Reid serves the needs of the music whilst simultaneously bringing his own identity to the feast. Goode, again, effortlessly puts out those broken yet entirely logical lines which are an integral part of his work.

The individual statement which augments a tradition already blessed with an embarrassment of riches, becomes—with the passing of time and the density of recordings—an increasingly difficult thing to achieve, but Goode and his cohorts have pulled the feat off here.