Martin Wind: Stars

A chamber-jazz glow hangs over Stars a sessions featuring renowned bassist and composer Martin Wind, with a quietly luminous quartet including legendary pianist Kenny Barron, exceptional clarinetist Anat Cohen, and imaginative drummer Matt Wilson. The album feels less like a blowing date than a late-night conversation among old friends, where each phrase is weighted with warmth and meaning.

The opening track is Aaron Bell's "Passing Thoughts," which conveys a blue-tinged melancholy told through a few carefully-chosen phrases. Cohen's clarinet enters with a hushed, autumnal tone, shaping the melody with breathy inflections. Barron responds with sensitivity, offering keyboard choices that deepen the tune's reflective, inward-looking mood. Wind and Wilson support the interpretation with melodic economy. Duke Ellington's "Black Butterfly," one of his less-frequently-performed compositions, is rendered here with reverence and grace. Cohen's playing sings the theme with an almost-vocal purity. Wind delivers an eloquent solo with his woody tone, which almost feels like a heartbeat. Barron's voicings are radiant and restrained, allowing Ellington's elegant melody to be alive in its own time.

The first of Wind's new compositions is "Moody," and it unfolds much as the title suggests. It is a Cohen-centric piece performed in the middle register with softly-shaded lyricism that hints at melancholy without ever becoming ponderous. Barron supports the interpretation with harmonies that drift in and out of the arrangement like passing thoughts. Bud Powell's "Wail" is a welcome burst of bebop sparkle without the frenetic tempo. Barron, steeped in this language, lets the lines tumble out with relaxed authority as Cohen adds a bright, playful edge, giving the tune a fresh twist. Wind and Wilson lock into a crisp old-school drive with the latter taking an animated turn on the drum kit.

Another Ellington original is "The Feeling of Jazz," which opens with a warm, big-toned solo from Wind. The piece transitions into a relaxed swing with Barron gently shaping the harmony. Cohen energizes the groove with her soft accents, and Wind maintains the tempo with an easy lope that feels timeless and vibrant. The other new composition from Wind is "Standing at the Window Waving Goodbye." This number deepens that sense of inward reflection. The melody unfolds like a slow farewell, with Barron ensuring each note is carefully placed and delivered with patience. Cohen floats above the harmony with a tone that is both tender and slightly wistful, suggesting the ache of parting.

The final piece is Mitchell Parish's "Stars Fell on Alabama," which is presented as a gentle nocturne. Cohen's warm tone turns the melody into a personal confession, with Barron's sparse note-playing framing it with quiet elegance. Wind's bass resonates beneath it all, unhurried and deeply expressive. Overall, the album shines with quiet confidence, as the musicians speak in their natural, heartfelt voices.

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