Johannes Wallmann: Not Tired

As the capstone to a terrific year which saw him first release Holding Space (Shifting Paradigm, 2025), a splendid duo disc with tenor saxophonist Dennis Mitcheltree, pianist Johannes Wallmann impresses once again with Not Tired, a delightful quintet outing which highlights the keyboardist's penchant for strong melodies as well as his superb bandleading skills.

Wallmann has a fine set of colleagues here, with Ingrid Jensen's sparkling trumpet and Dayna Stephens' brawny tenor creating a scintillating two-horn tandem. Bassist Nick Moran, who collaborated closely with Wallmann in workshopping this music, is joined by drummer Adam Nussbaum for a killer rhythm unit. Vibraphonist Mitchell Shiner comes in on a couple pieces, including a fitting appearance on glockenspiel for the charming title track, a nod to Wallmann's young daughter's restless sleep habits.

The first handful of tracks are sequenced expertly, as the entrancing lullaby lilt of "Not Tired" is followed by the brooding poignancy of "Into the Rain," with an especially rich harmonic palette and searching solos from the leader and his colleagues. But then things really get hopping with "Blind Spot," a rough-and-ready funk number which lights a fire under Jensen in particular, revealing all the muscle she can bring to her instrument; Stephens and Wallmann somehow rise to the challenge of matching her spirited vigor. "Twelve Thirty-four" is just as potent, with another strong melodic foundation and keen rhythmic vitality.

The rest of the album contains more pleasures, with "Ice Planet" featuring Jensen's thoughtful lyricism before the groove gets going underneath Stephens' ardent solo segment. "Near Orbit" begins in a restrained manner as well, but once again the beauty and intensity of the solos enliven it, with Wallmann making an expansive statement and Jensen offering enticing upper-register flurries. The energy is never allowed to flag, with "The Towel Snapper" swinging buoyantly, giving the entire band a chance to stretch out, and "Bad Apple" driven by a wonderfully complex theme and some sinewy Latin-inflected rhythmic shifts.

Closing with the richly-hued "Annus Mirabilis," Wallmann once again makes excellent use of his band, with gorgeous harmonic voicings utilizing the horns' natural complementarity, giving the piece a spirit of quiet radiance, and a gesture toward hope in difficult times.