Label: EMP, 2025
Personnel - Patrick Zimmerli: soprano saxophone; Kevin Hays: piano; Satoshi Takeishi: percussion.
American saxophonist Patrick Zimmerli has long given jazz aficionados solid reasons to regard him as a masterful composer and arranger. Following the spectacular quartet album Clockworks (Songlines, 2018), eight of his compositions from a 2014 suite were interpreted by the Joshua Redman Trio alongside the string ensemble Brooklyn Rider on the album Sun on Sand (Nonesuch, 2019). In 2020, he released Book of Dreams on Newvelle Records with longtime collaborators, pianist Kevin Hays and drummer Satoshi Takeishi. This same trio reconvenes for Songs of Innocence, channeling their creative energies into five original pieces partly inspired by British poet William Blake.
Zimmerli’s rhythmically knotty tendencies come through in the edgy 11/8 tempo of “60 Morningside”, a piece referencing the red-brick house of Columbia University’s president, seen during his morning walks. His mellifluous soprano sax feels spiritually expansive during the theme and high-flying while improvising. It concludes with a folk-inspired vamp that effectively breaks up the abstraction. “Crow or Dove”, inspired by a line from a Shakespeare’s sonnet, is smooth and meditative, veiled in a warm ambience.
The festive “Wedding Song” varies in intensity, beginning with hand claps before transitioning into a rhythmically intricate medium-fast tempo. Folk and contemporary classical elements are frequent in Zimmerli’s work, also surfacing in “Torsion”, a twisty, odd-metered number with a natural flow and corkscrewing melody, entering a rhythmically vibrant nine-beat vamp before returning to its eloquent theme.
“Dreamscape”, marked by an additive septuple meter {3+4} and crashing rhythmic accents, showcases an impeccable integration of low-register piano work and percussion. It stands out as a vivid reflection of the strange, often unsettling nature of the subconscious, reaching a climax during a vamping 14-beat cycle sequence. At this juncture, Zimmerli’s soprano burns with intensity and urgency.
Zimmerli’s trio balances flowing melodies, intricate rhythms, and kaleidoscopic harmonies within clear structures. Hinting at experimental curiosity, his compositions remain consistently compelling.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - 60 Morningside ► 04 - Dreamscape ► 05 - Torsion