Label: Redhill Records, 2025
Personnel - Peter Epstein: alto saxophone; Josh D. Reed: trumpet; Adam Benjamin: Fender Rhodes; Tim Wendel: electric guitar; Zack Teran: electric bass; Miguel Jimenez-Cruz: drums.
Based in Reno/Tahoe area, eclectic bassist and composer Zack Teran indulges in feisty popping grooves on his lushly produced and deftly executed fusion-tinted album, Navigator. Here, his tight sextet delves into seven original compositions, exploring the soloing aptitudes of alto saxophonist Peter Epstein and trumpeter Josh D. Reed, with the rhythm section fostering individual creativity while providing solid support.
“Lateral Drift” draws from folk, pop/rock, jazz, and funk, cemented in a grooving acid bass foundation that navigates shifting passages. “Dunia” is filled with hope and openness, with the horn players working closely on the melodic theme, which is followed by a bass solo vivid in its imagery and clear in its ideas. A highly tuneful trumpet statement and an ambiguous guitar discourse—offered by Tim Wendel— reinforce the alternate rock flavor, which then dissolves into a crossover jazz extravaganza.
“Celestial Navigator” and “Mana” deepen their fusion inclinations with emotional richness, but it’s “Secrets Under the Lakebed”, with its Kneebody-inflected mix of contemporary rock and post-bop, that ignites the best section of the album. The electrifying vibe encourages Epstein to blow his horn with fervor, and Wendel gives in to shoegaze dizziness following an animated reggae-infused passage with Teran as soloist.
From that point on, the pieces are thoroughly winsome. “Veiled Citadel” offers a quirky yet liberating experience, probing odd meter with groove while mutating according to the group’s whims. It comes packed with guitar chromaticisms and shifting figures, with bass distortion adding grit before ending in reverb-drenched spaciousness. “Deh Efeh” transcends conventional labels, developing confidently in seven and assuring its fusion roots. It includes a final vamp that favors drummer Miguel Jimenez-Cruz’s rhythmic stretches.
With Teran at the helm, these six musicians—who know one another well and trust their instincts—demonstrate a sure-handed approach to multiple genres, maintaining structural coherence throughout.
Favorite Tracks:
04 - Secrets Under the Lakebed ► 05 - Veiled Citadel ► 06 - Deh Efeh