Label: Little (i) Records, 2021

Personnel - Jeff Lederer: tenor saxophone; Jamie Saft: piano, organ; Steve Swallow: electric bass; Matt Wilson: drums.

After a decade, the cutting-edge tenor saxophonist Jeff Lederer reunites his Sunwatcher project with one change in the lineup: the legendary electric bassist Steve Swallow replaces Buster Williams, another legend. The keyboardist Jamie Saft and the drummer Matt Wilson round out the quartet for a stirring record made by inspired musicians. The eight recorded pieces were conceived to reflect the law of Dharma in its fundamental ideas. All of them are first takes from a session that took place during the summer of 2020 in the yard of Saft’s home studio in the Hudson Valley.

The group’s energy is promptly personified on the opening track, “Right Concentration”, where the relaxing sound of gongs prepares us for sudden organ strikes, sparse bass notes and filling drums, which complete the substratum while offering an ample bed to Lederer’s magnetic phrases. Together, they form a fragmented psychedelic scenario.

The main idea bookending “Right Speech” first comes in the form of an irresistible reed/drum tide. The middle section is marked not only by Swallow’s stunning bass lines, which are imbued of warmth and groove, but also by vivid and oblique organ reverberations and dynamic sax trajectories populated with strong rhythmic figures.

“Right Effort” evinces a more reflective, laid-back posture, a fact that doesn’t curb Lederer from articulate a considerable amount of notes with impressive speed, and “Right Resolve” harkens back to the groovy rock of the 70s - the sound of Janis Joplin and Deep Purple suddenly crossed my mind. Additionally, “Right Action” grooves with soulful intensity.

Following “Right Livelihood”, a powerful concoction of soul, jazz and funk, the quartet ends the journey with “Right Mindfulness”, endorsing contemplation through a mantra-like piano premise. Wilson’s beautifully designed cymbal maneuvers add extra special flavor here.

The return of Lederer’s Sunwatcher provides some great musical moments.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Right Speech ► 04 - Right Action ► 08 - Right Mindfulness

Jeff Lederer: tenor and soprano saxophones; Petr Cancura: tenor saxophone; Kirk Knuffke: cornet, trumpet; Brian Drye: trombone; Art Bailey: accordion; Gary Lucas: guitar; Matt Wilson: percussion; Allison Miller: percussion; Stephen LaRose: percussion; Mary LaRose: vocals.

Saxophonist Jeff Lederer, a staunch representative of today’s creative jazz, has a new album entitled “Brooklyn Blowhards”, whose interesting concept mixes Albert Ayler’s music, Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”, and sea shanties, which are a particular type of work songs connected to the sea and shaped mostly as marches and folk songs. The result is a pretty amazing combination of push-pulling cadences that transpire resistance, survival, and spiritual.
Ayler’s “Bells” starts like a frolicking fanfare just until Lederer’s boisterous solo erupts alongside Bailey’s imperative accordion. “Haul Away Joe”, plays like a hymn and boasts unflinching improvisations. “Dancing Flower” initially suggests a ballad but shifts into a rhythm that easily gets under your skin by bestowing a rich, serpentine locution that comes out of the leader’s soprano sax.
One of the most impressive tracks is “Black Ball Line” where we have exciting calls-responses by the saxophonists, momentarily interrupted by another effusive popular march. Gary Lucas and Mary LaRose, respectively guitarist and singer, are firstly heard on the strongly folk “Shallow Brown”, a sort of Zappa meets Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
Both “Santi Anno” and “Hail on the Bowline” are impeccably led by Knuffke’s cornet and propelled by the percussive expansions and contractions created by Wilson and Allison. Before the talkative last tune, a seaman’s hymn, we have “The Language Of Resistance”, a cheerless lamentation professed with fervor and intuition.

Favorite Tracks:
01 – Bells ► 04 – Black Ball Line ► 06 – Santi Anno