Colin Dean: Shiwasu

Bassist and composer Colin Dean graduated from New York's New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2006, and has since played across musical genres that include jazz, hip-hop and indie rock. Shiwasu, his first recording under his own name, finds him in the company of three distinguished fellow musicians on a set of tunes that draw on Dean's non-jazz influences to bring a fresh edge to mainstream modern jazz.

Dean and drummer Colin Stranahan form a tight and dynamic rhythm section, while saxophonist Sean Nowell—who plays in Dean's jazz and hip-hop orchestra, Roots and Grooves—is a melodic, precise lead player, especially on soprano. Pianist Rachel Z moves between roles with ease—her rhythm playing is full and rich, her solos are lyrical and inventive.

Of Dean's own compositions, "Wakan" is a standout tune, a beautiful melody, handled mainly by Z, with some fine percussion from Stranahan and a fluid solo from Dean himself. "Akasha" is the most emphatic display of Dean's hip-hop influences—a solid groove from Dean, Stranahan and Z underpins the melody from Newell's tenor sax, before Z takes over with a sparkling piano solo, full of chunky chords and tight runs. Z also impresses on "Brooklyn Ferry"—her playing, coupled with Dean's flowing bass line, evokes the gentle motion of a ship on the water.

There are two covers on Shiwasu: Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart's "My Romance," and Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin's "My Ship." The former tune is given a straightforward, somewhat anonymous arrangement, although Z once again delivers some splendid piano, and Dean's own playing is crisply swinging. "My Ship," from the musical Lady In The Dark, retains its well-known melody but the quartet invest it with a slightly more up-tempo and syncopated arrangement than usual: Stranahan's brushed drums drive the tune along, while Z's piano, Nowell's soprano, and Dean's arco bass each take turns acting as the lead instrument.

Shiwasu is a strong recording—mainstream, but with added influences that lift it out of the well-worn path. Dean is a musician with some innovative ideas and the ability to make them work, and his tunes on Shiwasu signal the arrival of a worthy new talent.

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