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John Petrucelli: Presence
ByAll those worrisome signals aside, Presence turns out to be admirably energetic and compelling, less burdened by its conceptual apparatus than the cynics among us might expect. Part of the secret is that the strings mostly provide light commentary, and are far enough back in the mix that they never dominate the proceedings. Perhaps they're too far back in the mix -this is a live recording and a studio version of the material might have better balanced the elements. That said, the jazz unit's playing comes through vividly.
Petrucelli is a nimble player with a rounded, centered tone (it is possible that he's heard a Mark Turner album sometime in the last few years). It's not the most distinctive approach to the horn, and sometimes can be a warning sign of accomplished but safe and, ultimately, dull music-making. Luckily, Petrucelli gets caught up by the rising chord progressions and skittering rhythms of his songs and so the listener gets caught up, too. Several tunes end with him passionately spinning out lines over spiraling chords. The emotional force he conveys keeps Presence from turning into an academic exercise. His melodies may not often be memorable ("For One to Know" is a nice exception), but at least the harmonies of his songs go places (usually, they surge upward) and give the improvisers something to dig into. Drummer Gusten Rudolph is key: he plays Petrucelli's complicated rhythms with elan and sustains momentum over the album's lengthy run-time.
The opening and closing numbers veer towards etudes. It's not clear that Petrucelli makes a strong enough case for including the string quartet, and the concept tying this series of fine performances together eludes this reviewer. But the moment to moment music-making never bogs down and there are many glimmers of beauty here. One to look out for.
Track Listing
Prelude, Intentions, Field of Heaven, Bridge Not An End, Garden of Angels, Sly, Summon The Spirit, For One To Know, Scallop Shell of Quiet, Mercury Crossing.
Personnel
John Petrucelli
saxophone, tenorJohn Petrucelli: tenor saxophone; Melvin Butler: guest tenor saxophone; Melissa Hernandez: violin; Ashley Freeburn: violin; Olga Taimonov: viola; Katya Janpoladyan: cello; Peter Park: guitar; Brett Williams: piano; Paul Thompson: bass; Gusten Rudolph: drums.
Album information
Title: Presence | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Self Produced
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About John Petrucelli
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
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