Ryan Burns: Postponed Parade

Keyboardist Ryan Burns' Postponed Parade happened, in large part, because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The vexing virus that hit us in 2020 made getting together difficult and dangerous—for music-making or anything else. So here is what Burns did: During Covid-19 times he recorded and released a single tune each month, from May to October 2020. These sessions took place in his contributing musicians' houses, with the exception of "Shoreline," recorded in a studio, but with everyone in a separate room. It pays to be careful.

Every tune features a different line-up, with some repeat appearances, notably drummer Matt Jorgensen—Origin Records honcho and leader of the group MJ+451, where Burns plays—who shows up on three tunes. His house was probably one of the ad hoc studios. A cohesion of Burns' vision is the glue; all of the tunes have a modernistic, groove-oriented sound.

The disc opens with the funky "Up & Up," sounding like a James Brown back-up band, featuring some up-from-the-gut sax work (tenor and baritone) from Skerik, while "Boogaloo Bird" explores the classic organ trio sound, and "Nightschool" displays a cool-toned, MJ+451 vibe, leading into "Subdued Mood," featuring Thione Diop's talking drums, shakers and cowbells dancing with the deep flutterings and seismic bumps of Burns' electric bass, and the sparkle of the keyboards.

"Shoreline" is a particularly engaging tune, with the sweet sting and luminescent sustain of Brian Monroney's electric guitar and a thicket of Jorgensen's percussive intricacies, along with Monroney's subtle, "with strings"-like guitar washes on this modern jukebox of a recording, proving something good can come of a bothersome quarantine.