Label: Skirl Records, 2020

Personnel - Michael Attias: alto saxophone; Samuel Blaser: trombone; Sebastien Ammann: piano; Noah Garabedian: bass; Nathan Ellman-Bell: drums.

Swiss-born, New York-based pianist Sebastien Ammann reunites his fantastic Color Wheel group, a daring project featuring musicians with whom he forged close relationships over several years performing together. Acclaimed alto saxophonist Michael Attias has in trombonist Samuel Blaser the perfect foil to obtain contrasting tonalities in the frontline, while the musical abilities of bassist Noah Garabedian and drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell assure the proper rhythmic course delineated by Ammann's contemporary perspective. The second outing from the quintet, Resilience, comprises nine tracks that unfold with a unique personality. All but two are Ammann originals.

The bandleader drew musical inspiration from visual artists for the first and the last tracks on the album. The former, “Yayoi”, is a wonderful effort inspired by the work of Japanese conceptualist Yayoi Kusama. Long and calm notes deliberately emanate from Attias' saxophone find comfort in Ammann’s inspired pianism. The impellent drumming offered by Ellman-Bell becomes salient even before the modernistic theme gains emphasis. The urgency of some passages - with Attias and Blaser exploring attractive textural avenues - differ from the tranquility of others, and everything ends as it began... in peace. In its turn, the concluding “Pedestrian Space” was inspired by the minimalist conceptual-based sculptor Fred Sandback. Under a dry-toned rhythmic spell, this streamlined piece places a major focus on piano sweeps and single-note pointillism in counterpoint with the staccato fluxes created by the horn players.

“Untangled” is a gem compellingly crafted with a form and a structure that combines the bold and the poetic. A fetching bass groove in six is momentarily altered and makes us search for the tempo, with Ammann exhibiting his deftly rhythmic comping during the busy activity of the soloists. Blaser populates apropos expressions with pragmatic circularity, while Attias excels with his simmering tone, blowing torrential melodies packed with jagged-edged formations. Both are clever improvisers in full bloom.

The Italian title “Castello di Traliccio” was taken from a book and means trellis. The Fender Rhodes confers it a nice groovy feel, while bassist and drummer, enjoying a healthy connection, deliver an unyielding rocking pulse that provides solid ground for the sax-trombone enlacement. Metrical and rubato notions are put to a test here with encouraging results.

The title track attempts to evoke the sounds of John and Alice Coltrane, using a beautiful modal progression in five over which the bandleader presents us with an enlivening, energy-filled keyboard solo.

Carla Bley’s “King Korn Revisited” and Dave Scott’s “Afterthought” are the two covers that complement the album with a keen post-bop awareness.

Stirring up some real spark with this work, Ammann is already riding a comet toward the highest galaxies of modern jazz.