New Faces: New Sounds

While established forces typically radiate clout and currency, it's the new faces, beaming with hope and the promise for what's to come, that tend to shine brightest. Posi-Tone Records, not surprisingly, supports that line of thinking. Promoting emerging artists has long been a mission for the label, which prides itself on seeking out and nurturing burgeoning talent, and this aptly named project, launched with one group of individuals on 2018's Straight Forward and carried to tremendous heights with different personnel on New Sounds, is but the clearest example of that truth.

The introduction of this second edition of New Faces serves as a coming out party for a band of the first order and a presentation of a roster that's ever so deep. Alto saxophonist Markus Howell, a multifaceted musician who's appeared on a handful of projects for the label, balances pure soulfulness with a modernist's flair. Tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, an artist of tremendous means with ties to bassist Esperanza Spalding and pianist George Colligan, brings an earthy resonance to the mix. And powerhouse trumpeter Brandon Lee, who possesses a résumé covering everything from The Count Basie Orchestra to the Christian McBride Big Band, speaks of zest and depth with his horn. The project's rhythm section, not to be outdone, carries considerable weight. Pianist Caili O'Doherty, a key presence in Posi-Tone's Works For Me cooperative, demonstrates a perspicacious grasp on harmony and form. Bassist Adi Meyerson, the ballasting voice in that same collective and a supportive standout on Champian Fulton's Speechless, proves shrewd in her understanding of time, shape and place. And drummer Cory Cox, who drives these messages forward, brings a sense of style and substance to the kit that's all too rare in today's scene. Leaders one and all, these men and women are shining examples of what jazz's future holds.

Each member of this sextet wears the "rising star" label and stamps the music with unique impressions, but a through line—"an ingenious, open, mature, tender, and expressive nature," as producer and label co-head Marc Free so accurately puts it—runs right across the band. As individuals, here and elsewhere, each of these musicians proves formidable; but as a united front—a group of new faces, as it were—these men and women are beyond category. That fact isn't lost on Free, whose intentions from the beginning helped to birth the end results: "I just wanted to take the opportunity to bring these young people together to cooperate—cross-pollinate, actually—and induce a certain, different kind of reaction, which I believe you can clearly hear on the record."

The material constituting New Sounds most certainly suggests Free's aims. "Shades of Brown"—the opener, and Lee's lone compositional contribution—presents with grace and determination. Shifting feels and toggling between gears, the band sets a fine balance between drive and space. It's a vehicle that accesses everybody's gifts to create a cohesive whole. "It's not just one person's voice; it's everybody's voice," Free explains. Whether spying the way the horns align and separate, the manner by which O'Doherty adds secondary colors, or Meyerson and Cox's strong yet fluid grip on the lowlands, it's clear that the one and the many merge beautifully in concept and context(s) as the album takes flight.

Nodding toward a veteran in the Posi-Tone stable—and a member of the initial class of New Faces—the band continues with vibraphonist Behn Gillece's "Whistleblower." "With that song you get to experience the inside-outside, outside-inside capacity of these players, and also their functional grasp of not only modal music and hard bop, but also more adventurous, freer ideals," notes the producer. It's a performance that's somewhat in line with the energy of the lead-off track, yet several steps beyond it in terms of scope.

As the program moves forward this sextet sets its sights on a variety of locales. Meyerson's "Afloat," a shapely and elegant waltz, is buoyed by a committed sense of feeling and altered, a touch, by the presence of an infrequent metric slip stitch. Her "Hold My Heart," a gorgeous ballad ripe with sentiment, proves to be an emotional high point for the album. And "Stop Gap," sandwiched between those performances and taken from the book of first-edition New Faces bassist Peter Brendler, dips into the boogaloo well while avoiding clichés and giving Howell and Glover a chance to go at it.

Howell's "Second Wind" opens the second half of the date referencing a Free-formed, A-side/B-side sense of sequencing. Vacillating between a Latin groove and streamlined swing, offering some space for strong solos, and giving Cox a chance to cut loose atop a vamping design, it proves to be yet another example of how both singularity and synergy figure into this equation. From there it's off to Glover's "Blues for Tangier," a slow, woozy take on the titular form that dips into the Mediterranean and turns its slight tides around; Cox's "Luna Lovejoy," a peppy, Brazilian-influenced beauty that benefits from the marriage of Howell's flute and Lee's muted horn; and O'Doherty's "Runaway," which grows from reflective and introspective beginnings to a point of strength. Understandably, that last composition speaks to Free as one of the most remarkable pieces on the program: "I would call that a sensitive and vulnerable portrayal of people trying to hear their way and not think their way through difficult times, be present, and bring unity and warmth to the world during what may feel like a stark or difficult moment."

That penultimate performance serves as the final offering from within the ranks, but Gillece's "Trapezoid" seals the set. A go-getter with a geometric slant and an adrenalized stride, it ends things on a high note. But for Free and Nick O'Toole—the men behind Posi-Tone—the hope is that all of this is just the beginning for these new faces. "I really loved making this record, I love working with these people, and there was a huge emotional payoff to making this album that supersedes anything else," confides Free. "I'm hoping that New Sounds will bring some beauty and blissful joy to listeners who are just discovering these musicians or have maybe heard them on only one or two occasions before. I hope this project validates whatever reason they chose to invest some of their time and energy into listening to this wonderful music that we've put together for them to enjoy. And I want people to know that when they pick up a record that says Posi-Tone, they can rely upon that brand to be melodic, emotionally sincere, thoughtful, insightful, and well considered in every way."

Liner Notes copyright © 2024 Dan Bilawsky.

New Sounds can be purchased here.

Contact Dan Bilawsky at All About Jazz.
Dan is a jazz journalist, jazz advocate, music educator, and lover of sounds.

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