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Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow: Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow
ByMaxwell seems to have avoidedon recordthe standard quintet configurationsax and trumpet, backed by a piano/bass/drums rhythm section. But he rips into the genre here, and does so in a dynamic, modernist style that gives the music a far-from-standard treatment.
As to the trumpeters, Maxwell uses three of them, rotating them in and out like basketball subs in an all star game: Victor Garcia, Chad McCullough and Corey Wilkes.
As usual, Maxwell has penned all the tunes, beginning with deep groove "Embraceable Excuses," featuring Victor Garcia on trumpet. Junius Paul's steroidal electric bass, combined with Phil Beale's pounding drums, lay a muscular foundation, and Matt Nelson's Filles de Kilimanjaro (Miles Davis, Columbia Records, 1968)-like electric keyboards pump up the alto sax/trumpet give-and-take from Maxwell and Garcia. "Work In Progress" draws the sound away from the dance-able, celebratory mood of the opener into a dark, exploratory territory. Maxwell's solo is ominous. The rhythm guys shine on this onewith a dark shine, like it's coming off of a chunk of obsidian.
"Throw Away Tune #2" features Corey Wilkes on trumpet, with a gorgeous muted sound on a smooth flowing ballad. "Saturday Morning Dance" sounds like a tune written for a big band, opening with a trumpet/sax fanfare before McCullough takes flight on a soaring solo. "Hitting Streak" showcases Maxwell's sound on flute alongside McCullough's fiery trumpet, adding a different flavor to the uplifting, catchy groove's of this first-rate band.
Track Listing
Embraceable Excuses; Work In Progress; Responsibility Run; Inside Back; Whole Hearted Half The Time; Unexpected Heel Turn; Progressive Regression; Saturday Morning Dance; Carbird Seat; Three Kinds Of Heat; Throw Away Tune #2; Eustachian Tube Dysfunction; Hitting Streak; Bye For Now.
Personnel
Shawn Maxwell
saxophone, altoShawn Maxwell: alto sax, flute; Victor Garcia: trumpet (1, 4, 5, 10); Chad McCullough: trumpet (2, 3, 6, 8 13, 14); Corey Wilkes: trumpet (11); Junius Paul: acoustic and electric bass; Matt Nelson: piano, rhodes, Wurlitzer; Phil Beale: drums.
Album information
Title: Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: OA2 Records
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About Shawn Maxwell
Instrument: Saxophone, alto
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