Jordan Young Group: The Jordan Young Group

The Jordan Young Group is a terrific CD full of swing, spot-on timing, and beautiful melodies. The substitution of organist Brian Charette and guitarist Yotam Silberstein for the usual quartet line-up of bass and piano gives drummer Young's group a sonorous, spacious sound, and the disc's tasteful song selection nicely displays the musicians' considerable gifts.

"JF Blues" is one of the album's best tracks, with the rich feel of classic Blue Note hard bop despite being an original from tenor saxophonist Joe Sucato. The tune highlights the quartet's ability to be simultaneously fresh and traditional, and also displays Young's excellent cymbal work— perfectly steady and light—and Silberstein's funky and tasteful guitar work. The organ is a curious instrument: just a little too much force can tip it over into the bombastic, and yet Charette demonstrates a wonderful touch, mining the instrument's full range throughout the CD.

Another highlight is "My One and Only Love," a number that will be familiar to John Coltrane fans. Sucato perfectly captures the melody's gentleness as well as its quiet yearning. Clearly a musician worth watching, he has a milk chocolaty tone and solos that are both lyrical and thoughtful. Sucato is certainly one of Coltrane's heirs, and yet he manages to make this classic ballad his own.

An intriguing aspect of the CD are Charette's four songs, cryptically named "PiNGs"—each a delightfully squiggly soundscape, with abstract electronic lines and colorful bits of noise. Ranging from one to two minutes, they are interspersed throughout the more straight-ahead numbers and showcase the group's range. These tunes could very well be seeds for another CD, where the group stretches out and fully explores the ideas peeking out from these four "PiNGs."

Best of all, joyfulness pervades the set, conveying the musicians' sheer delight in playing this music. Altogether this is pleasing, sophisticated jazz, deserving of a wide audience.

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