Diamond Cut (Mack Avenue)
Tia Fuller
Released May 25, 2018
Grammy Nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Album 2019
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mJnGhPBoulDNkEeGUwtXsU3pvdnlYpBuQ
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/5GyjleB65HnQ5H8MSpX6ni?si=Sh6_KTukSQ2FiZQ1lYDL0w
About:
While the phrase “diamond in the rough” often describes burgeoning talents brimming with potential, Fuller has exhibited impending greatness since emerging on the international jazz scene more than a decade ago. Now, her artistic capacity has blossomed tremendously, resulting in her fourth Mack Avenue Records release – the aptly titled Diamond Cut, her first album as leader since 2012’s Angelic Warrior. In those six years, she’s transitioned from being a member of Beyoncé’s touring band to becoming a full-time professor at Berklee College of Music, while still juggling a demanding career as a solo artist and touring with the likes of drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, bassist Esperanza Spalding and drummer Ralph Peterson Jr., among others.
Track Listing:
1. In the Treches (Tia Fuller) 6:19
2. Save Your Love for Me (Buddy Johnson) 5:40
3. I Love You (Cole Porter) 6:22
4. Queen Intuition (Tia Fuller) 6:01
5. Joe’n Around (Tia Fuller) 4:15
6. Crowns of Grey (Tia Fuller) 5:55
7. The Coming (Ti a Fuller) 6:59
8. Soul Eyes (Mal Waldron) 5:40
9. Delight (Tia Fuller) 5:02
10. Fury of Da’Mond (Tia Fuller) 4:00
11. Tears of Santa Barbara (Tia Fuller) 4:25
12. Joe’n Around [Alternate Take] (Tia Fuller) 3:07
Personnel:
Tia Fuller: saxophones
Adam Rogers: guitar
James Genus: bass
Bill Stewart: drums
Terri Lyne Carrington: percussion (7, 8)
Sam Yahel: organ (2, 7)
Jack DeJohnette: drums (4, 5, 7-9)
Dave Holland: bass (4, 5, 7-9, 11)
Recorded at The Clubhouse, Rhinbeck, Ny
Producer: Terri Lyne Carrington
Executive-Producer: Gretchen Valade
Recording Engineer: Paul Antonell
Mixed by Jeremy Loucas
Mastered by Paul Blakemore
Art Direction: Raj Naik
Photography by Jerris Madison
Review:
The engaging and enjoyable Diamond Cut is
saxophonist Tia Fuller’s fifth release as a leader and the first without a
pianist. Fuller deftly fronts a different rhythm section on each half of the
album. The only constant is guitarist Adam Rogers, whose restless, explorative style is the perfect
foil for Fuller’s ardent, poetic wit.
On the opening “In the Trenches”
Fuller embellishes the breezy, mellifluous theme with gusto and passion. Rogers
follows with a cool, muscular swagger that echoes the leader’s creative
spontaneity while his crystalline, dark phrases contrast with Fuller’s vibrant
and warm tones. Drummer Bill Stewart and
bassist James Genus conclude
with a thunderous and visceral conversation.
On the stimulating “Queen Intuition”
Fuller alternates performing fragments of the melody with bassist Dave
Holland over an understated rhythmic framework
that drummer Jack DeJohnettecreates.
Fuller launches into a tense and thrillingly complex improvisation that
seamlessly returns to the head that serves as a launchpad for Rogers’ perfectly
complementary solo.
Two guest artists, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, on percussion, and organist Sam Yahel, make one of the highlights of this album, “The Coming,” even more memorable. The former’s rumbling beats and the latter’s otherworldly chords contribute to a dramatic ambience. Fuller fills it with understated virtuosity and fiery abandon. Carrington closes on an exciting note with her up-tempo, percolating vamps.
Another gem is the tender and emotive duet “Tears of Santa Barbara.” Holland switches between melancholic con-arco lines and eloquent pizzicato. Fuller responds with a brilliant extemporization filled with wistful lyricism. The result is a haunting and poignant piece.
If there are breaks in the recording’s cohesiveness it is not because of rotating roster of backing musicians. These rare spots where momentum slacks are on pop leaning material like the R&B-ish “Save Your Love for Me.” With Yahel’s organ adding a smooth groove this romantic piece is effervescent and sweet. Fuller unfurls a luscious saxophone song over the band’s languid refrains. She manages to make it charming and fun as she eschews the saccharine.
Diamond Cut heralds a new stage in Fuller’s already stellar career. With a new group and varying material, she firmly establishes herself as a unique voice in the mainstream while cautiously trying out fresh ideas.
Hrayr Attarian (All About Jazz)
