Eric Sierveld's Organic Quintet: Walk The Walk

After three years in Congressman Paul Ryan's home state, trumpeter Eric Sierveld returns home to NYC. The grand results is Walk The Walk, an escapade with the newly christened, no-fretting, tight strutting Organic Quintet.

Percolating from start to finish, the Quintet—featuring Sierveld joined by Tony Barba on sax, Jonathan Kreisberg: guitar; Steve Snyder on Hammond B3, with drummer Mitch Shiner and percussionist Aaron Gochberg—hold the groove and stalk the charts with simmering intent. Launching from the visceral angularity of "The Last Innovator," that sounds like a trumpeter's nod to fellow trumpeter Woody Shaw, leads into the roughed-up, swaggering blues, "Toughin' Up," a tune that transcribes the energy of New York and its thriving boroughs and delivers all that to the listener in spades. The title track, a collaboration between Sierveld and Kreisberg, is a sturdy, luxurious track that each player takes hold of and makes his own and ups the ante. "Occam's Razor," a minor key blues, is a coiled wonder, as Kreisberg takes his spotlight and sprints across the ensemble's bedrock. "The Other Side (of the Hudson)" could have been your standard 4/4 blues if not for the players' imagination—each soloing smoothly with a barroom confidence and command—the interplay between sax and trumpet alone is a master class. The disc closes with a funky, classic throwback boogaloo "Split-Finger."

A joyful listen.

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