Michael Dease Big Band: Return Trajectory

While it is not true that a photo of Michael Dease appears in Webster's dictionary next to the word "versatile," the metaphor does not seem too far-fetched once one considers the many tasks Dease carries out on his latest recording, Return Trajectory. Not only does Dease lead his big band, he wrote three of the album's half-dozen themes, solos on trombone on four, baritone sax on the other two (unaccompanied on his composition "Up South"). Rumor has it that he also plays trumpet, piano and bass.

The other numbers on this rather abbreviated (34-minute) album were written by veteran Michigan-based composer Gregg Hill ("Oasis," "Shoreline"), J.J. Johnson ("Little Dave") and Ray Noble (the well-traveled standard "Cherokee"). Dease's ensemble, made up in part by students at Michigan State University, is more than able to weather any challenge, briskly sauntering through the session's trio of flag-wavers while unveiling its warmer side on Dease's opening ballad, "You Know I Love You."

The band's guests, flugelhornist Dennis Adu and alto saxophonist Erena Terakubo, take their lone solos there and are suitably impressive, as is Dease, who is next in line. Guitarist Zach Sommerfeld, soprano Mason Reinhardt, muted trumpeter Joel Reaves and trombonists Dease and Miles Cole share blowing space on Hill's picturesque "Oasis," which leads to Dease' rip-snorting baritone solo on the high-speed "Cherokee" (for comparison's sake only, think Pepper Adams, Ronnie Cuber, Gary Smulyan or Nick Brignola).

Hill returns with the light and breezy "Shoreline" (elegant solos by Dease, Summerfield, pianist Max Gage, tenor Shane Karas and trumpeter Scott Belck) before Dease takes command again on the multi-hued "Up South." The band wraps the handsome package with the album's third admirable flag-waver, Johson's "Little Dave," wherein Dease' incisive solo is matched by a more cogent but no-less-laudable statement from trumpeter Eli Rachlin. In spite of the concise playing time, it should be noted that there are few moments on Return Trajectory that are less than pleasurable, which makes a positive endorsement clear and conclusive.