Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jay Lawrence: Sonic Paragon

3

Jay Lawrence: Sonic Paragon

By

View read count
Jay Lawrence: Sonic Paragon
Sonic Paragon is a satisfying set grounded in the idea of broad appeal. Drummer Jay Lawrence is no purist, and he's certainly not stubbornly set on a single course, yet he's wholly cognizant of the fact that music is both for the makers and the takers. And with an understanding of that need for balance and some help from a real dream band, he creates a program that basically works for both sides of the fence.

Opening with his own breezy "Full Moon In Havana," Lawrence immediately establishes a mellow vibe while showcasing an easy rapport with bassist John Patitucci, pianist Renee Rosnes, guitarist Romero Lubambo, and tenor saxophonist Harry Allen. All, save for Lubambo, who alternates guitar duties with Anthony Wilson or Yotam Silberstein, remain for the entire show. As the program continues, Lawrence branches out along various central avenues. First he breaks up the melody of Irving Berlin's "What'll I Do," using it as a small showcase for his brushes before settling into a coolly swinging lane; then he brings guest trumpeter Terell Stafford into the fold for the spicy "Vamonos" and the laid back "Slide"; and after that he adds some rhythmic zest to an Allen-fronted take on Leonard Bernstein's "Maria," essays quietude with positive results on "Dayspring," and opens bluesy funk nugget "From Nadir To Zenith" with a slight futurist's feel.

In most of those aforementioned instances the music runs down the middle and everybody paints mostly within the lines, but that's the real beauty of it. Whether taking a stroll through NOLA by way of "Tchoupitoulas," pulling Jimi Hendrix into the jazz orbit with a personalized slant on "Crosstown Traffic," or delivering any number of engaging originals, Lawrence and his A-Team find a way to enjoy themselves without pushing the music toward the outer limits. This is pure musical variety wrapped in accessible language.

Track Listing

Full Moon In Havana; What'll I Do; Vamonos; Slide; Maria; Dayspring; From Nadir to Zenith; Sonic Paragon; Tchoupitoulas; Golden Ratio; Crosstown Traffic; My Winsome Consort.

Personnel

Jay Lawrence: drums; John Patitucci: bass; Renee Rosnes: piano; Harry Allen: tenor saxophone; Terell Stafford (3, 4, 7, 9); Romero Lubambo: guitar (1, 5, 6); Anthony Wilson: guitar (2, 4, 7, 8); Yotam Silberstein: guitar (3, 9-11).

Album information

Title: Sonic Paragon | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Jazz Hang Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.