Carl Schultz: The Road to Trantor

Saxophonist Carl Schultz composed The Road to Trantor as the soundtrack to a science fiction film. The kicker is that the film exists only in Schultz's head. When writing each song, he tried to envision the scene in which it would be used. In that sense, the music is thematic, even though the themes are known only to Schultz.

In charting his singular course, the California-based artist drew heavily on novels by Isaac Asimov. "Trantor" is one of the worlds in Asimov's Foundation universe. Much of the music was inspired by scenes or events in works by Asimov, the exception being "Crystalline Desolation," a depiction of what Schultz's protagonist sees and experiences after crashing and regaining consciousness on the surface of a strange planet.

And speaking of surfaces, Schultz seems at times to add slight yet deliberate surface noise, notably on the cryptic "Caves of Steel." Other effects, including some reverb and Adam Benjamin's rippling Fender Rhodes, help underscore the soundtrack's ethereal tone, as do Schultz's gossamer flute and Tim Wendel's lucent guitar on the mystical ballad "Gladia," the album's longest track at 10:33.

Much the same holds true at a faster pace on "Unsettled Worlds," arguably the session's "jazziest" number (although the nimble finale, "The Spirit of Adventure," comes close). "Worlds" encases strong solos, courtesy of Schultz and Benjamin, bolstered by staunch rhythmic support from bassist Zack Teran and drummer Alwyn Robinson, while the same holds true for "Adventure," which ends the soundtrack on a promising note.

As a film score, The Road to Trantor works quite well, and is presumably just what Schultz had in mind. As a jazz album, rather less so, even though it certainly has its moments of pleasure and excitement. While Schultz clearly deserves an "A" for ambition, The Road to Trantor could be a tad too uneven and sinuous for the average jazz fan.