Label: Desafio Candente Records, 2024
Personnel - Euan Edmonds: trombone; Dustin Laurenzi: tenor saxophone; Clark Gibson: alto saxophone; Paul Bedal: piano; Sam Peters: bass; Neil Hemphill: drums.
Trombonist and composer Euan Edmonds makes a compelling entrance onto the jazz scene with Beyond Hope and Fear, a solid debut album where he establishes a vibrant front-line interplay with dynamic saxophonists Dustin Laurenzi and Clark Gibson. The ensemble is well-supported by a tight rhythm section featuring pianist Paul Bedal, bassist Sam Peters, and drummer Neil Hemphill. Now based in Washington, DC, Edmonds explores pure jazz territory with a sextet drawn from Chicago, where he previously resided.
The album kicks off with “Jordan and Maria”, a cohesive post-bop piece inspired by characters of Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. Bedal’s piano riff sets the pace following a dreamy, romantic introduction. His chordal work reinforces the foundation for the unison melody, paving the way for engaging solos from Edmonds and Gibson, who cruise through the changes with horn fills subtly weaving through. A lively vamp for the drummer bridges the theme’s choruses.
While “Violet” offers a moody contrast, suspended over a nuanced pedal point and fleshed out by Laurenzi’s penetrating tenor saxophone as it navigates a dense rhythmic forest. In turn, “Wayfarer” exudes a joyful bounce, recalling the vibrant, straight-ahead styles of Steve Turre and J.J. Johnson. This same exuberance and robust sound also define “Endurance”, with its deep groove and strong harmonic drive.
The latter track forms part of Between Hope and Fear, a 30-minute, seven-part suite that showcases Edmonds’ artistic depth. The title track of the suite brims with expressive richness, underpinned by extraordinary piano and bass interplay. Laurenzi’s cutting-edge phrasing creates vivid sonic landscapes, blending precision with adventurous agility, while Bedal’s dropping pianism gives a strange, alluring detail to the playing. Another standout from the suite, “Axis”, opens with muted trombone and alto sax, constructing a soulful 3/4 harmonic progression. Featuring unaccompanied passages that spotlight the trombone and saxophones, the piece crescendos into an ecstatic finale, with the entire ensemble contributing to an atmosphere of opulent uplift.
The closing track, “Arthur’s Seat”, channels strains of hard-bop balladry, journeying through classic traditions in a 3/4 time signature. Edmonds’ auspicious debut as a bandleader satisfies with elegantly texturized arrangements that underscore the power of genuine communication. His compositional voice is punchy and confident in promise.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Jordan and Maria ► 05 - Between Fear and Hope ► 07 - Axis ► 09 - Endurance