Quinn Sternberg: Pleasant Returns

This is album number five from bassist Quinn Sternberg. It follows on from Walking On Eggshells (Mind Beach Records, 2023). A resident of Asheville, North Carolina, as of this writing, Sternberg returned to New Orleans for the recording. He had previously worked in the city for nearly a decade and notes that "Having not seen or played with my bandmates in close to a year, I wanted to do something that captured the joy of reconnecting with old friends through music." The album title Pleasant Returns reflects this.

Sternberg composed the seven tracks on the album, which features acoustic instrumentation with nothing added in post-production. He is joined by pianist Oscar Rossignoli, drummer Peter Varnado and tenor saxophonist Sam Taylor, who, without taking anything away from his companions, is the main melodic protagonist here. Sternberg is a generous leader and takes more of a supportive role, only occasionally stepping forward to solo, but he acts as the pivot for creative interaction with the others, ensuring that the band is musically as tight as it gets.

That musical tightness and togetherness is apparent in the bright opening track, "Feedback Loop." Taylor's sax motif sets the scene and provides a strong melodic drive, with other band members occasionally coming to the fore and shifting the rhythms. A slightly mournful sax leads into "Ponchatoula Strawberry." This pie-inspired track strikes a subtle balance between melody and improvisation, gradually building in complexity as it progresses, building to a close with pulsing bass and Varnado's fiery drums.

With bassist-led bands, the choice of drummer is key and the synergy between Sternberg and Varnado, built up over time, is apparent in their rhythmic combinations and avoidances. Their textures are a feature of "Stretch"; Sternberg's solo is lithe and unshowy, Rossignoli's piano solo stands out and Taylor's sax flies with a mix of control and abandon against a pulsating sound wall.

The second-to-last track, cleverly titled "The Penultimate," highlights Sternberg's ability to build collaborative free-flowing spaces into his compositions. Here, piano and sax find room for mazy solos. The album closes with "Barry," a gradually unfolding tribute to Sternberg's late uncle. Stepping away from the taut interplay heard elsewhere, the band proves equally adept at a slower pace, with gospel-inflected piano and Sternberg's commanding solo drawing the listener in before the saxophone's strong soulful melody brings a close.

Throughout his classy session, nothing lingers too long or overstays its welcome. Taylor delivers an elegant yet powerful performance on sax, while Rossignoli's piano work remains continually inventive. The album is punctuated by tightly-coordinated rhythmic moves, with Sternberg consistently hitting the spot and driving creative interplay in a release that feels personal. The quartet clearly enjoy playing together and their energy and intensity make this album one that can be enjoyed multiple times.

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