Label: Stoner Hill Records, 2023
Personnel - Myron Walden: alto saxophone, bass clarinet; Melvin Butler: tenor and soprano saxophone; Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar; Jon Cowherd: piano, organ; Christopher Thomas: acoustic bass, synth; Brian Blade: drums.
In this age of anxiety, there’s nothing better than the tangible musical content of Brian Blade and his amazing Fellowship band to replenish positive energies. The drummer’s seventh recording, Kings Highway, remains with that zen quality achieved with simmering yet soothing measures while effectively blending elements of jazz, gospel and folk music. The album comprises four compositions by Blade, two by pianist Jon Cowherd, and a clean arrangement of the 1882 Christian hymn “God Be With You”. There’s no change of direction in what Blade envisioned for this project in the late ‘90s but rather a deepening of its sense of beauty and maturity.
Blade’s “Until We Meet Again” is outlined with such coalescing and enveloping sounds, which, tempo-wise, convey the sensation of asymmetry due to the way it’s subdivided. The same happens during the 32-beat cycle that takes “Look to the Hills” to a full-hearted finale, but it’s the volatile title cut, “Kings Highway” that stands out as the essence of Blade’s compositional prowess. Open to meter and texture shifts, this wonderful piece includes a fine introductory section, an appealing passage in seven that sustains an elastic solo by the reintegrated guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, a luscious gospelized route in support of Christopher Thomas’s tasteful bass statement, fascinating bar trades between saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, and a awe-inspiring delivery from Cowherd, whose pianism sprouts with clarity and rapture. And then, the gospel returns to conclude the adventurous journey.
Another rewarding piece is “Migration”, a Blade composition that begins with an evocative drum talk followed by intricate rhythmic accents for a polyrhythmic feel before ending in a superlative collective feast. In the middle, we have walloping chromatic notes pouring out of Butler’s tenor, and a devotional rhythm conduction implemented as a path for Walden’s fervent stretches. It’s amazing how even the most cathartic sections are imbued with warm-heartedness.
Cowherd contributed two pieces: “People’s Park” and “Catalysts”. The former is a ballad, while the latter churns slowly forward with a gently propulsive drumbeat in six that helps it stand firmly within the post-bop frame. By the end, Rosenwinkel excels by dishing out a perfectly pitched synth-infused improvisation over a 14-beat cycle passage with horn fills.
Executed by like-minded musicians, this album demands a closer examination as it conquers hearts with an instinctive and liberating capacity. Revealing more of Blade as a musician, it’s a gem that no one should be indifferent to.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Catalysts ► 04 - Kings Highway ► 06 - Migration