Label: Irabbagast Records, 2024
Personnel - Jon Irabagon: soprano saxophone; Ray Anderson: trombone; Matt Mitchell: piano, Fender Rhodes, Moog model D; Chris Lightcap: acoustic and electric bass; Dan Weiss: drums; Ben Monder: guitar (#10); Chris Cash: drums, bass, guitar, programming (#12); Trans-Atlantic Line Cigar Lounge All Stars (#12).
The remarkable saxophonist, Jon Irabagon, makes a triumphant return with his Outright! project, delivering yet another epic album that seamlessly follows the success of its predecessors, Outright! (2008) and Unhinged (2012). Undergoing its third lineup change, the ensemble keeps featuring outstanding musicians and improvisers, now including trombonist Ray Anderson, Matt Mitchell on keyboards, Chris Lightcap on bass, and Dan Weiss on drums. The collaboration produces rich and intense musical moments, further elevated by additional skilled musicians.
The core quintet works through a compelling program, presenting a nine-part suite titled Recharge the Blade, and is enlarged with guests on two numbers of the multi-colored War Trilogy. Irabagon and his associates boldly jump out of the box with “Kilgrave Part 1”, where angular piano forms and eerie soprano whispers are complemented by candid trombone expressions. This sets the stage for “Blood Eagle”, a hard-swinging romp filled with pure fire, with bassist and drummer locked in, and the horn players immersed in exciting extravagance. The piano adds an extra layer of clarity, engaging in counter-action comping during Anderson’s statement. Then, Irabagon’s smearing scorcher of a soprano solo takes the forefront, followed by Weiss’ stylish drum chops and Mitchell’s dynamic contours on the Rhodes, all layered over a thumping funk bass groove and a hi-hat/snare-driven flow.
While “Keelhauling” explores freewheeling avant-garde territory with circularity at its peak, the balladry of “Nightshade” invokes the easy gliding melodicism of Wayne Shorter before transitioning into a hip-hop rhythm with M-Base vibes. “Kilgrave Part 2” loosely echoes Coltrane, leading into “Recharge the Blade”, a playful neo-bop meets New Orleans dixie exercise crafted with powerful unisons and confident split-ups. The solos, synergistic and abrasive, overflow with glistening cascades and dramatic swells. Also contrasting,“Trés Bechet” glows in romantic bolero style as if lit from within, while the motivic “Tsar” propels itself with open-space energy, culminating in ecstatic explorations outside the norms.
The album reaches its pinnacle with The War Trilogy, where the blooming first movement, “Quarum Call”, features the atmospheric quirkiness and noise density of guitarist Ben Monder. He feels at home in the company of Weiss’ abrasions of wood on skin. “We’ll Meet Again”, penned by Hugh Charles and Ross Parker in 1939, is offered as a soprano/piano duet, serving as a bridge to “Welcome Parade”, a surprising if divergent R&B/soul-jazz-influenced track featuring multi-instrumentalist Chris Cash and the monumental Trans-Atlantic Line Cigar Lounge All Stars.
As a strikingly original player with an imaginative vision, Irabagon keeps his music refreshingly focused but also bursting with freedom. Not a single dull moment is found in this opus, where the members of the group showcase their extraordinary rapport.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Blood Eagle ► 08 - Tsar ► 10 - Quarum Call