Mitch Towne: Refuge

After organ trios came to prominence during the 1950s, jazz groove has never been the same. Performers like Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, and most notably Jimmy Smith introduced a new level of soul to jazz music. With Refuge, organist Mitch Towne makes a compelling debut as a leader, adding his name to a who's who of groovemakers.

Towne's work as a sideman gives him the ethos to warrant serious attention. His resume includes work with everyone from Terrace Martin and Buddy Miles to Dave Stryker and Tom Scott, and Refuge shows the breadth of those experiences. But this is no session player stepping out for a quick solo project—it is a full artistic statement, rooted in tradition but looking ahead.

Refuge offers a tightly focused and creatively executed album that places the Hammond B-3 front and center, paying homage to players who influenced him, while bringing a unique sound to the forefront. The focus here is more on innovation than nostalgia; the result is pure groove satisfaction. Working with guitarist Tetsuya Nishiyama and drummer Jeffery Johnson , Towne delivers seven tracks of modern organ trio jazz, with enough emotion, swing, and funk to keep the party going.

The musicians joining Towne are each in top form. Nishiyama's guitar lines are crisp, harmonically daring, and perfectly balanced between rhythmic comping and lyrical soloing. Johnson, a veteran drummer, swings hard without overplaying, providing just the right propulsion and tasteful playing.

From the onset, Refuge makes its mission clear: this trio is not retracing well-worn paths, but carving fresh ones through modern jazz territory. With the legacy of Jimmy Smith and Joey DeFrancesco hovering in the wings, Towne's compositions draw equally from the harmonic richness of Wayne Shorter, the rhythmic punch of hard bop, and the exploratory attitude of players like Larry Young and Big John Patton. His writing favors fresh chord changes, unexpected meters, and melodic lines that leave room for deep improvisational interplay, which is a particular strength of this group.

The opener, "Wolverine," burns with energy in a fast-paced trio cut highlighting Towne's command as a soloist and supporting player. The title track, "Refuge," slows the tempo and deepens the mood, gesturing toward Wayne Shorter in its spacious theme and underlying tension. "Ode to Kenny," inspired by Kenny Garrett, brings a blues-funk edge to the mix, while "Better Now Than Never At All" plays it more relaxed, with Nishiyama's guitar slightly reminiscent of John Scofield's approach: just slightly behind the beat, but never lazy.

Kenny Kirkland's "Steepian Faith" is the album's sole cover, and Towne treats it with reverence and urgency. The composition's angular contours and dense voicings suit his modern sensibility, making it a natural inclusion. The dreamlike "Some Work Of Noble Note May Yet Be Done," with its ethereal shimmer, may be the most surprising moment here, a reminder of the Hammond organ's versatility in the right hands.

With Refuge, Mitch Towne does not just enter the modern jazz organ conversation—he expands it. For jazz organ enthusiasts, this is just what the doctor ordered: plenty of soul and swing with a healthy dose of "vitamin" B-3.

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