John Brown: Quiet Time

Bassist and bandleader John Brown was last heard backing Nneena Freelon on her Christmas (Brown Boulevard Records, 2013) release leading one of his decidedly larger ensembles. Quiet Time finds the bassist pared down to a classic trumpet-saxophone quintet size for a recital of after-hours tunes. Brown's fronting horns are trumpeter Ray Codrington and saxophonist Brian Miller. The disc is opened with a Miller spotlight, "Come Live With Me," presented haltedly reminiscent of the classic Saturday Night Live closing theme " A Waltz in A." Miller plays alto saxophone sweetly, full of soul. Codrington adds an open bell solo equal to that of Millers.

And so progresses this disc through Lonnie Smith's ..."and the Willow Weeps, Oscar Peterson's "When Summer Comes" and, interestingly, Elvin Jones' "A Lullaby of Itsugo Village" with Codrington muted and Miller playing tenor. Pianist Gabe Evens solos with angles smoothed by block chords and a slow tempo enforced by Brown and drummer Adonis Rose. "You Don't Know What Love Is" is treated as the standard it is, played in that smoky, late-night way one would expect to hear Tony Bennett sing it with well-chosen vocal filigree and obbligato. Quiet Time accomplishes what it sets out to do: to create and maintain a suspended mood of late night thoughts between well- directed notes.