Label: Sunnyside Records, 2021

Personnel - Caroline Davis: alto saxophone; Marquis Hill: trumpet; Julian Shore: piano; Chris Tordini: bass; Allan Mednard: drums; Mazz Swift: violin; Josh Henderson; violin; Joanna Mattrey: viola; Mariel Roberts: cello.

Alto saxophonist and composer Caroline Davis has emerged in recent years as one of the most sharply focused musicians. After investing in the fabulous trio Alula in 2019 - featuring keyboardist Matt Mitchell and drummer Greg Saunier - she returns with an excellent roster of players. Intertwining a jazz quintet with a pliant quartet of strings, they work through Davis’ 11 original cuts, which resulted from the mournful period after the passing of her often absent, workaholic father. The assessment of their difficult relationship, the recovering from the effects of trauma, and the process of healing are present throughout.

Taking inspiration from the rhythm of a quatrain from Omar Khayyam’s poem Rubáiyát, “Yesterday’s Seven Thousand Years” quickly assimilates a vibrant post-bop loaded with melodic ethos. The rhythm section - composed of pianist Julian Shore, bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Allan Mednard - is utterly supportive, but it’s the latter that lets us feel the burn of his chops during the piano solo. Before reinstating the theme, the quintet vamps to incorporate unisons from Davis and trumpeter Marquis Hill. Their brilliant tone and controlled attacks are also on display in the polyrhythmic “Acephalous Placebo”, which lucidly juxtaposes elements in 5/6 and 4/4 time.

The strings become salient on “Hop On Hop Off”, whose counterpoint, texture and color - especially during the tricky-metered theme - calls to mind some chamber music works. There’s a slower passage in five showcasing beautiful cello bowing from Mariel Roberts, who is later joined by a more optimistic violin pizzicato. In due course, we have exchanges between trumpet and saxophone. Similarly to this piece, “Highlighter Hearts” reflects memories of Davis’ father, shrouding the listeners in a mix of rapture and heartache. This number ends with a different atmosphere as if the saxophonist wants to look forward and move on.

If “How to Stop a Drop of Water from Evaporating” shudders with vast passion, then “Left” glints with sharp-edged observation. The former kicks off with violin on top of groovy drums, leading us to a matured orchestration that occurs in zippy fashion. Conversely, the latter focuses on the anxiety from being abandoned as a child, catalyzing those emotions via continual string fluxes, accents and turns in the rhythm, angular melody and deft interplay.

The record ends peacefully with “Wordliness and Non-Duality”, which is delicately woven by the combo with soft and warm layers in a perfect balance of colors.

This poignant, sometimes-riveting, well-orchestrated album shows how Davis uses her musical skills as tools for illustrating emotion.