Label: Contagious Music, 2022
Personnel - Chris Speed: tenor saxophone; Shane Endsley: trumpet; Billy Mohler: bass; Nate Wood: drums.
Bassist Billy Mohler boasts a deep, rich sound that perfectly suits the styles he explores. His pieces are rock-oriented, shaped with alluring grooves and provided with ample room for jazz-inspired improvisation. The gripping, luxurious quartet he brings with him - saxophonist Chris Speed, trumpeter Shane Endsley, and drummer Nate Wood - denote an excellent musicianship, sharing the same taste for a hybrid combination that feels flexible and free.
Anatomy begins with “Abstract 1”, the first of three unaccompanied bass-centered vignettes, which foreshadows what emerges over the course of the album. This is followed by “Fight Song”, a hooky and immediate cut about the different kinds of conflict that surround us. Musically, you won't find conflict at all but rather a striking consistency between the stupendously grooving bass, the energetic rock drumming, and horn lines that navigate the robust rhythm with avant-jazz energy.
“Nightfall” glows and dances with passionate admiration for the city of New York, having Mohler delineating the passages he wrote with a strong sense of harmony. Meanwhile, the men in the frontline establish a nice and warm communication. Endsley shows how extrovert he is in his soloing duties. One can detect a pretty similar routine on “Perseverance”, whose unchanging rhythm envelops us like a dense fog. Yet, Speed follows Endsley here, in an improvisation full of timbral sophistication. They both dance around each other while connecting through engaging counter melodies.
The groove-laden “Equals” begins with sax and trumpet in tandem, and bass and drums in the pocket. After the head, it morphs into a Morphine-sounding mix of punk sweetness and energy that makes us move our feet. Mohler wrote “Speed Kills” for the saxophonist in this album, who responds with a hook-nosed statement that brims with inside/outside prowess.
Mohler brings the record to a conclusion with “Moonglow”, which echoes a late-night lounge feel with a steady pulsation and calm composure. Just like all the other cuts on this album, this is an original by the bassist, despite sharing the same title as the 32-bar jazz standard made popular by Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Art Tatum.
Anatomy consists of an utterly satisfying set of tunes that, being straightforward in the flow and impeccable in the sound, stands tall in its own.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Fight Song ► 03 - Nightfall ► 04 - Equals