Label: Sunnyside Records, 2023

Personnel - Jerome Sabbagh: tenor saxophone; Kenny Barron: piano; Joe Martin: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

Favoring straight-ahead jazz flavors and plain structures over complex modernistic approaches, the new outing by French-born, New York-based saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh, Vintage, is a tribute to tradition and jazz heroes. One of them, the veteran pianist Kenny Barron, is in this quartet, assuring a lusty rhythm section with younger yet accomplished foundation connoisseurs such as bassist Joe Martin and drummer Johnathan Blake. The saxophonist was struck by Barron’s playing as a teenager in a Paris concert by saxophonist Stan Getz. This marks his first work as a leader with piano as harmonic accompaniment, after years working with guitarists Ben Monder and Greg Tuohey.

The hooky title cut is a Sabbagh hard-bop-fueled piece motivated by nostalgia, slightly latinized at the end, and marked by hot improvisations from saxophone and piano. The two men at the center deliver two elegant ballads in duo - Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower is a Lonesome Thing” and Monk’s “Ask Me Now”, the latter of which closes the album on a nice relaxed note. There’s more Monk before that, with a playful, groovy rendition of “We See”, whose theme is expressed in unison with Barron. The pianist shows artistry in the stride piano comping that follows.

Tadd Dameron’s classic “On a Misty Night” advances with a cool, breezy flow and a no-holds-barred bop posture. Sabbagh seems channeling Getz and Rollins; Barron is harmonically explicit; Martin’s bass lines assure a fluent stream; and Blake’s zealous brush technique vouches for timekeeping.

The saxist's considerable compositional acumen can be heard in “Slay the Giant” and “Elson’s Energy”. The former number embraces a composure that recalls Yusef Lateef, while the latter, written with a childhood friend in mind, arises as a post-bop knockout with a Brazilian rhythmic feel.

This studio date satisfies without dazzling, showing youthful vigor within the classic jazz style but not exactly experimenting new pathways. It certainly would have benefited from more original material, and yet, the repertoire here was logically chosen and gracefully expressed.

Favorite Tracks:
04 - Elson’s Energy ► 05 - Slay the Giant ► 06 - We See

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2018

Personnel – Jerome Sabbagh: tenor saxophone; Greg Tuohey: electric guitar; Joe Martin: acoustic bass; Kush Abadey: drums.

French-born, New York-based saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh co-leads a new quartet with his longtime buddy and collaborator, guitarist Greg Tuohey. Both worked together in another quartet, Filpside, in which they teamed up with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Darren Beckett. However, for this new outing, the bandleaders are joined by bassist Joe Martin, a core member of Sabbagh’s quartet (together with Ben Monder and Ted Poor), and drummer Kush Abadey, a recent discovery.

No Filter, which was recorded in New York with no edits or overdubs, includes three compositions from Sabbagh and four from Tuohey. The journey is initiated with the former’s “Vicious”, where a relatable guitar ostinato is drawn from the power rock compendium, conveying a cinematic Mission-Impossible-like vibe. Moreover, eccentric guitar strokes are part of the comping as the saxophonist slides outside the diatonic scale without losing the nice melodic flow of the song. Whereas Tuohey discloses his jazz-rock technique, Abadey awaits the last section of the tune to improvise with brio.

A great harmonic treatment is given to Tuohey’s “Lurker”. The guitarist employs a slightly dirtier sound and delivers a personal statement enriched with motivic ideas. The atmosphere, which was built upon an amalgamation of post-bop and pop/rock, favors Sabbagh’s creative phrasing.

Possessing authentic compositional styles, the bandleaders have musical personalities that allow for an effective musical match. They are able to play with dynamism but are also proficient when cooking beautiful ballads. That is the case of Tuohey’s “No Road”, whose sweet contagious torpor invades and conquers with a strong lyrical sensibility. He totally changes posture on “Chaos Reigns”, a shifting composition that starts by waltzing discreetly with a feeling of near sadness, passing through an unconfined yet minimalistic atmosphere marked by saxophone cries, and ultimately, as the title suggests, delving into a more chaotic urbanity. That's when the electric guitar infuses gripping tension and a distorted toxicity.

“Cotton” and “You Are On My Mind” are contrasting Sabbagh compositions. The former is a snail-paced lament stimulated by dark mallet propulsions, whereas the latter displays a joy-filled melody in a bright, saturated post-bop fashion.

No Filter provides an engaging experience filled with alluring melodies and harmonies and dexterous transitions. It translates into inspired, grown-up music with a fresh taste of youth.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Vicious ► 03 - No Road ► 04 - Chaos Reigns