Label: Fresh Sound New Talent, 2021

Personnel - Godwin Louis: alto saxophone; Noah Preminger: tenor saxophone; Billy Buss: trumpet; Orrin Evans: piano; Leo Genovese: synth, keyboards, organ; Michael Feinberg: acoustic and electric bass; Jeff Tain Watts: drums; Gabriel Globus-Hoenish: percussion. Guest appearance by Randy Brecker: trumpet (#9)

Bassist/composer Michael Feinberg releases his eight album as a leader, a successful culmination of the challenges and opportunities imposed by the pandemic. He hired a fantastic group of musicians to play some of his own tunes plus four covers, with Miles Davis’ “Nardis” being the most distinguished of them. His rhythmically defiant arrangement of the latter piece, initially handled with a groovy bass figure and hip-hop color in the rhythm, plays with tempo, moods and styles, including hard-swinging passages and sumptuous Latin segments. Besides the energy of Jeff Tain Watts, for whom Feinberg partly wrote his music, there’s also trumpeter Billy Buss’ elegant muted sound.

Feinberg favors a very eclectic writing, and if “Introduction” carries a slick R&B feel with Orrin Evans and Leo Genovese handling the keyboard chores on piano and synths, respectively, “The Husafell Stone” plunges into bouncy tradition while bringing to mind the music of Freddie Hubbard, Blue Mitchell and Hank Mobley. On the latter tune, Watts stretches at the outset, and I admire how Evans handles his improvisation.

While hard-bop is mixed with pronounced gospel tinge to shape the optimistic “Hard Times” (penned by saxophonist David ‘Fathead’ Newman), it’s a Stevie Wonder-esque funky vibe that animates “Janky in the Middle”, where Buss shows his glossy melodic side in opposition to Godwin Louis, whose zigzagging alto arrives with plenty of accentuation and timbral allurement. Both musicians end up having a lively discussion.

Two McCoy Tyner compositions were selected to be included on the track list, with “Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit” standing out through a Latin jazz-meets-rock that suggests Carlos Santana. It features Gabriel Globus-Hoenish’ well-tuned percussion throughout, and a blistering drum solo by Watts at the end.

Boasting propulsive licks in its melodic vocabulary, the synth-infused “Monkeys Never Cramp” provides the most exciting playing of the set. Playful, busy and elastic, the piece features guest trumpeter Randy Brecker.

The music has that enthralling appeal and easygoing vibe that satisfies with aplomb. A positive, energetic response to the hard times.