Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Pete McCann: Range
Pete McCann: Range
ByThe session opens with "Kenny," a lilting, lyrical ode to the late trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, who McCann worked with back in '88. Similarly buoyant, "Rumble" cavorts with a Latinized gait, revealing a harmonic sophistication reminiscent of its dedicatee, the great altoist Lee Konitz. Elsewhere, the group demonstrates its post-bop chops on brisk swingers like "Realm" and "Dyad Changes," though one would hardly deduce the latter was inspired by Anton Webern's erudite serialism.
The majority of the date comprises a tasteful selection of creative mainstream jazz, although there are a few raw, fusion-oriented scorchers interspersed throughout the set. Careening along in odd time signatures, "Seventh Jar," "Mustard" and "Bridge Scandal" amplify the proceedings with angular themes that culminate in rousing choruses, inspiring a series of blistering metallic runs from the leader.
In contrast, the pastoral ballad "To The Mountains" demonstrates McCann's affinity for folksy Americana with airy Frisellian overtones, while "Numinous" ventures into darker territory, gradually unfolding as an impressionistic rubato tone poem. The closing acoustic number, "Mine Is Yours," features a similarly pliant rhythmic foundation, its rhapsodic minor-key melody delivered with compelling urgency.
Whether navigating quicksilver rhythm changes or introspective motifs, the quintet's congenial rapport lends the eclectic session a unified sensibility. McCann's dynamic fretwork complements O'Gallagher's recoiling cadences and Hey's kaleidoscopic filigrees in equal measure, while Clohesy and Ferber's ardent interplay fortifies the frontline. Living up to its title, Range makes a compelling case for McCann's manifold abilities, as a crack improviser, a noteworthy composer and a magnanimous bandleader.
Track Listing
Kenny; Seventh Jar; Realm; To The Mountains; Mustard; Dyad Changes; Numinous; Bridge Scandal; Rumble; Mine Is Yours.
Personnel
Pete McCann
guitarPete McCann: electric and acoustic guitars; John O'Gallagher: alto saxophone; Henry Hey: piano, Rhodes and organ; Matt Clohesy: acoustic and electric bass; Mark Ferber: drums.
Album information
Title: Range | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Whirlwind Recordings Ltd