Alexa Tarantino: Winds of Change
Over the last couple of years, Tarantino has been the much-talked-about spotlight of such outstanding Posi-Tone ensemble discs as this year's Pride and Joy by Lioness, Maximum Enjoyment by Something Blue and 2018's Bliss by baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian. Here she begins the proceedings slowly and quietly with "Wisp After Wisp." An elegiac Sands solo opens up into an introspective, bluesy solo by Tarantino as Royston and Martin sympathetically flourish behind her. The jumpy and nervy "Face Value" follows, the horns in swinging tandem until Finzer breaks loose, bringing all the growl and funk he can muster, calling out both Sands and Tarantino to get down and mix it up with him, which both do with plenty of verve and vitality.
Royston takes centerstage on Noriko Ueda's whiplash "See Saw," a winsome quirky adventure written for the high voltage hi-jinks of The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, that features Tarantino on soprano sax, an instrument she is more than comfortable with. Royston and Tarantino trade off with an uncomplicated ease while Sands comps merrily away. "Breeze" pairs Sands and Tarantino perfectly, each pushing the other, sailing brightly along.
What she readily admits was her first ever composition, the shuffling, bossa-tinged "Square One," again teams Sands and Tarantino so easily, so artfully and tunefully that you wish the song never ended. "Calm" is a marvel of give-and-take, as Finzer again proves foil and muse for Tarantino's liquid lines. Bassist Martin gets his moment in the sun on "Undercurrent," pulling the collective along with him while "Ready or Not" packs so much punch into its manic three-minutes-and-fifty-eight-seconds that you are ready to catch your breath with the beautiful closing ballad, "Without."
Track Listing
Wisp After Wisp; Face Value; Seesaw; Breeze; Zingaro; Square One; Calm; Undercurrent; Ready or Not; Without.
Personnel
Alexa Tarantino: woodwinds; Christain Sands: piano; Joe Martin: bass; Rudy Royston: drums; Nick Finzer: trombone.
Album information
Title: Winds of Change | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Posi-Tone
Post a comment about this album
FOR THE LOVE OF JAZZ
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
About Alexa Tarantino
Instrument: Saxophone, alto
Article Coverage | Calendar | Albums | Photos | Similar ArtistsTags
Contest Giveaway
