Blue Moods: Swing & Soul

Swing & Soul is the second in a series of recordings by Blue Moods, one of the projects initiated by Posi-Tone Records producer Marc Free to attract new listeners to jazz. The release showcases a collection of compositions by pianist Duke Pearson, an underrecognized figure who worked for Blue Note as an A&R man, arranger, and sideman, in addition to leading several dates that remain in high regard by many aficionados.

Five of Posi-Tone's leading lights, tenor and soprano saxophonist Diego Rivera, pianists Art Hirahara and (on three tracks) Jon Davis, bassist Boris Kozlov, and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza constitute a stunning, razor-sharp band. They feast on Pearson's catchy, neatly constructed themes, offering fresh interpretations of the material and bracing, nuanced performances. A 1950/60s hard bop and soul jazz disposition has been stretched a bit by players who have absorbed a wealth of influences apart from these styles.

A newcomer to jazz can easily get caught up in the sheer excitement of the tracks and then gradually recognize and warm up to the music's abundant subtleties. A few cuts offer food for thought in the guise of accessible jazz-funk. During the head of "Chili Peppers," Hirahara, Kozlov, and Sperrazza are dynamic rhythmic forces, each finding a way to make the music jump without gumming up the works. Davis's intro to "Sweet Honey Bee" is an ingenious slice of soul jazz piano, employing a host of brittle, bluesy touches.

In an age when rigid, inflexible, unyielding propulsion is often the norm, it is gratifying to hear degrees of intensity of swing generated by the rhythm section. "Each Time I Think of You," "Ready Rudy," and "Big Bertha" are a few examples of how readily the band shifts gears. The connections between the players and their ability to stimulate one another are evident throughout the album. On the head of "Idle Moments," the way Hirahara's chords and single notes circle Rivera's soprano constitutes a related stream of thought. Sparrazza's brusque, multi-stoke eruptions complement the increasing complexity of Davis' "Sweet Honey Bee" solo.

Rivera's improvisations evolve in a steady, even-keeled manner. He possesses a strong, stable, self-assured voice devoid of distracting mannerisms and gratuitous technique displays. The continuity of Rivera's eleven choruses on "Ready Rudy," a blues taken at a brisk tempo, makes an exhilarating impact. "Idle Moments" evinces an admirable fluidity, and "Chili Peppers" nimbly integrates R&B elements into the whole.

Hirahara gives the impression that anything is possible yet always stays true to the music's core. He plays straight-ahead, in-the-pocket swing as well as any other jazz pianist and finds ways of animating the funk and Latin-tinged tracks. While Kozlov and Sperrazza lay out during his initial "Ready Rudy" choruses, Hirahara gleefully unleashes a muscular, rhythmically dense confrontation between his left and right hands.

Blue Moods is also likely to appeal to longtime jazz fans, even those who insist that the original hard bop masters are the last word on the subject and regard anything currently produced along these lines as hopelessly derivative and inferior. In terms of musicianship, inspiration, and chemistry, Swing & Soul stands on its own and is akin to the classic sides of yore.