John Yao and his 17 Piece Instrument: Points In Time

Trombonist and composer John Yao presents a heartfelt and personal retrospective with Points In Time. This ambitious album delves deeply into the emotional and professional journey he has undertaken over the past twenty years in New York City. Leading his precisely coordinated ensemble, aptly called His 17-Piece Instrument, comprised of talented musicians from various points along Yao's timeline. The eight original compositions in this session stem from key moments in Yao's life and artistic development. This work is not just a big band recording but a meditation on growth, struggle, and creative clarity.

The opener, "Upside," sets an energetic tone. It is a vibrant piece with layered horn voicings and rhythmic drive that serve as a metaphor for optimism mixed with grit. The two extended solos by trumpeter David Smith and tenor saxophonist Tim Armacost are bold and expressive. The composition "Not Even Close" was written as a tribute to Thad Jones, following Yao's time with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, where he developed an appreciation for Jones' genius. It features darker harmonic shades, along with jagged lines and angular phrasing. Yao shows his mastery of contrast by using the ensemble's weight to build tension, as soloists bassist Robert Sabin, altoist Hashem Assadullahi, and trombonist Sam Blakeslee navigate the arrangement with skill and introspection.

With "Triceratops Blues," Yao balances humour and complexity. Its title hints at playfulness, but the writing is anything but simple. (A triceratops was a type of dinosaur that roamed the earth around 66/68 million years ago.) The low brass rumbles and shifting tempos evoke a lumbering but formidable creature, perhaps a trope for the big band tradition itself, which Yao both honours and reshapes with modernist inflection. "Early Morning Walk" is a ballad of understated beauty. The ensemble breathes gently, evoking a sense of solitude and reflection. Yao's trombone is at the forefront of the arrangement, where he demonstrates marvellous versatility and coolly considered power.

The closer is " Finger Painting," which bursts with joy and experimentation. Yao lets the ensemble off-leash here, encouraging abstraction within structure. It is a celebration of craft and imagination born of experience wherein the solos of both trumpeter John Lake and pianist Hyuna Park show their commitment to the process.