John Yao and His 17 Piece Instrument: Points In Time

The insuperable spirit of swinging big-band jazz is everywhere apparent on Points in Time, the seventh recording by New York-based composer, arranger and trombonist John Yao, and the second with his marvelous 17-Piece Instrument, a decade after its well-received debut, Flip-Flop. (See Tao, 2015).

As on that earlier album, the playlist consists of seven of Yao's original compositions (and one outlier) written with the band in mind to exemplify in musical terms experiences and emotions Yao has undergone in the twenty years since he left his native Chicago and moved to the Big Apple. These include two that strike quite close to home: the casual "Early Morning Walk," written during his wife Natalie's (successful) battle with cancer, and the melodious "Song for Nolan," a handsome salute to the couple's young son. A third, "Finger Painting," which rings down the album's curtain, is Yao's arrangement of Herbie Hancock's composition of that name.

Yao is a splendid composer whose command of the contemporary big-band idiom is exemplary and whose keen and colorful charts swing easily and often. The tunes are consistently engaging, the ensemble letter-perfect, and Yao's clever background riffs offer a charming counterpoint for the band's array of stellar soloists. Yao gives them ample time to improvise, and no one lets him down. Trumpeter David Smith and tenor saxophonist Tim Armacost light the torch on the powerful opening number, "Upside," while bassist Robert Sabin, alto Hassem Assadullahi and trombonist Sam Blakeslee keep it burning high on "Not Even Close," Yao's prismatic tribute to trumpeter Thad Jones, in whose orchestra he once played.

The tempo slows on the pensive "Triceratops Blues" (sharp solos courtesy of alto Billy Drewes and bass trombonist Max Seigel) before resuming its rapid pace on "First Step," on which Drewes, this time on soprano, delivers an awesome solo that leads to robust statements by trombonist Nick Vayenas and trumpeter David Neves. Yao solos with Perry on "The Other Way," a digression into the realm of twelve-tone form, and with pianist Hyuna Park on "Early Morning Walk." Perry, baritone Carl Maraghi and trombonist Matt McDonald (the last two trading stalwart volleys) are the soloists on "Song for Nolan," Park and trumpeter John Lake on "Finger Painting."

Yao, already a respected composer and arranger, has taken a large step forward here. Flip-Flop, his first album leading the well-oiled 17-Piece Instrument, was impressive; Points in Time is even better, and is warmly recommended.