Josh Lawrence: Still We Dream

"Long As You're Living," the opening track of Still We Dream, trumpeter Josh Lawrence 's seventh release for Posi-Tone Records, is an ideal candidate for extensive airplay on jazz radio. Coming in at under four minutes, it is all substance, no fluff, no excess. A blues in 5/4 time, generating middling tempo swing courtesy of bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Rudy Royston, this cover of Julian Priester 's and Tommy Turrentine's subtly funky line makes for an auspicious beginning. Still, it does not offer a clue to the magnitude that follows. While one might expect it to be the opening salvo for a somewhat brainy hard bop or soul jazz session, Lawrence has a lot of other things in mind.

The unpredictable set that follows features Lawrence's catholic choices of material wrapped in shrewd arrangements and executed by a band of Posi-Tone regulars at the height of their considerable powers. At first glance, five compositions by Thelonious Monk, three by Frederic Chopin, a song with roots in 17th-century Algerian folk music, and a selection from the film "Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" may seem like strange bedfellows. By the time the record ends with the traditional patriotic theme "America," it is apparent that these ostensibly disparate pieces of music have coalesced into something more than a well-executed hodgepodge of genres and moods.

While all of Lawrence's treatments of Thelonious Monk's compositions are meritorious, Royston's contributions to the heads of "Evidence," "Trinkle, Tinkle," and "Light Blue" deserve special mention. In short, Royston ingeniously injects his own idiosyncratic perspective into these songs. It is a risky business, but he always manages to pull it off. In the cases of "Evidence" and "Trinkle, Tinkle," he is a wickedly animating force, inserting chockablock strokes in tight spaces or over the course of a couple of measures, as well as offering comparatively simple single hits that complement the melody. Royston plays without disfiguring Monk's lines or overwhelming his bandmates. "Light Blue" is an entirely different, though no less effective, story in which his simple, repetitious bass drum and tom-tom combination anchors the track for the entire length.

The record's primary soloists, Lawrence, pianist Art Hirahara, and tenor and soprano saxophonist Diego Rivera, engage the emotions and the intellect. The listener never has to labor at discerning the logic and substance of their lines. Lawrence's trumpet possesses a bright, full, generous tone that lingers in memory. His improvisations embrace the characteristics of each song. His work on Monk's "Boo Boo's Birthday" exemplifies crisp, continuous invention of a bebop predilection. Hirahara's "Boo-Boo's Birthday" solo opens with some sly, Monkish touches, evolves into a romp, and then circles back. During a turn on Monk's "Trinkle Tinkle," Rivera evinces an example of his genuine affinity for medium tempo swing, and it is evident how much he enjoys working with the rhythm section.

The record's last two tracks, Chopin's "Op. 35: Funeral March from Piano Sonata No. 2" and "America," have a profound impact, evoke a wide range of emotions, and summon thoughts about deeply human concerns, such as mortality and patriotism. The "Funeral March" toggles between Lawrence's and Rivera's doleful declarations and passages that allow some light to shine in. Then there is the striking contrast between Lawrence's hair-raising improvisation and Rivera's comparatively debonair turn. The melody of "America" is rendered in a straightforward, respectful fashion, a virtual invitation to recall and ponder the contemporary relevance of the song's lyrics. Suffice it to say, these two cuts are a long way away from the soulful, familiar ambiance of "Long As You're Living." In sum, the variegated, 65-minute journey of Still We Dream is a richly rewarding experience.