Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2021
Personnel - Chet Doxas: tenor saxophone; Ethan Iverson: piano; Thomas Morgan: bass.
10 enchanting compositions inspired by spiritual connections are what Montreal-born, Brooklyn-based saxophonist and composer Chet Doxas, a Juno-award winner who moves elastically between tradition and innovation, offers us on You Can’t Take It With You. The album, presented in a drummer-less trio format with the assistance of pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Thomas Morgan, emerged after the pianist Carla Bley had encouraged Doxas to form his own trio when he mentioned how inspiring her work with Steve Swallow and Andy Sheppard had been for him over the years.
The title track opens with a frank bass statement before segueing to a bluesy, swinging motion. Iverson’s piano work is impeccably witty in the numerous evocations of jazz tradition while Doxas’ melodies surface with compulsively lilting ideas.
“Lodestar” is a dedication to saxophonist Lester Young, here praised by his rhythmic expertise via insistent pedals, looped rhythmic figures that change key and stunning prepared piano. Except for the latter aspect, the trio also remains anchored to this aesthetic on “Part of a Memory”.
There are more dedications on the album: “Cheryl and George” pays tribute to Doxas’ parents using the chord changes of “Body and Soul” - you’ll rejoice with the multiphonic intonation of the tenor intro as well as with the enigmatic atmospheres that lead to a collectively improvised passage. “Up There in the Woods” celebrates the iconic guitarist Jim Hall while providing gleeful amusement via bright bopish lines and that slight Latin undercurrent that stresses the color of the main theme. On the meditative “All the Roads”, it’s TV host Fred Rogers’ non-speech at the time of his award reception that encourages the trio to make its point clear with earnest bowed bass, crestfallen piano and a sensitive horn temperament.
I couldn’t fail to mention “Twelve-Foot Blues”, which besides combining the ingratiating familiarity of the blues with the trio’s propensity for exploration, also has Iversen quoting “I Got Rhythm” at the end of his solo.
What I really like here is the group’s capacity to eschew the typical saxophone trio hierarchy. All members are given equal importance by playing the roles of texture builders and inventive improvisers.
B+
Favorite Tracks:
01 - You Can’t Take It with You ► 03 - Cheryl and George ► 09 - All the Roads