Label: Star Jelly, 2023
Personnel - Elijah Shiffer: alto saxophone; Kevin Sun: tenor saxophone; Dmitry Ishenko: bass; Colin Hinton: drums.
In his third full-length album, City of Birds Vol.1, New York-based alto saxophonist and composer Elijah Shiffer shares the frontline with tenorist Kevin Sun, backed by the sturdy rhythm section of bassist Dmitry Ishenko and drummer Colin Hinton. Drawing inspiration from birds spotted in New York, Shiffer composed all ten infectious pieces, anchoring them in tradition but also imbuing them with sophistication in the arrangements and athleticism in the improvisations to make them shift to the contemporary side.
“Flap Flap Glide” kicks off the album with straightahead swing and amusing dynamism, showcasing nervy saxophone unisons and a stirring tenor saxophone solo. Also with a hard-swinging vein, “Walking, Running, Open Wing” channels the epic fantasy of John Coltrane and Dexter Gordon, while “Phalarope Jilt” explores hard-bop flair, evoking Charlie Parker with rhythmic nuance.
Grooving all the way down while driven by a 12-beat cycle bass figure, “A Dove in the Morning” thrives with interesting saxophone dialogues. This fascinating interplay continues on “Skydance Over 6th Ave.”, where multiphonics and well-sequenced flurries of notes are expressed with tonal balance. This piece, inspired by the aerial trajectories of the American Woodcock, brings short staccato lines into its introductory part, and includes an agile bass solo that anticipates an effortless, graciously mutating dance.
The soulful “Pigeonology” stands out, offering complex bopish articulation, a riff-heavy feast for the reedsmen, and invigorating rhythm shifts that smear the substratum with a touch of funk rock. An untamed saxophone solo expressed with fury and intelligence doesn’t remove space for Hinton’s percussive inflection by the end. The album closes out with the bouncing “Arctic Jig”, featuring solos by all four musicians.
The creativity, joyous lyricism, and musicianship throughout this album makes it stand ahead and shoulders above most efforts in the same line of action. Shiffer, soaring high with his skills, has chosen excellent company to traverse the sky lanes of jazz like a magnificent bird.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Flap Flap Glide ► 03- Pigeonology ► 05 - Skydance Over 6th Ave.