The Path (Do Right! Music)
The Cookers Quintet
Released August 5, 2022
JAZZ FM 25 Best Jazz Albums of 2022
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m8OWIISwXKCLcSe-_6BXWtau_7MWFveE0
Spotify:
About:
TCQ (The Cookers Quintet) is a Canadian jazz group, with a sound firmly rooted in the ‘60s hard bop movement. The core members each bring their own unique qualities to the band’s sound. Saxophonist Ryan Oliver’s fat, full tenor tone might bring to mind heavyweight Dexter Gordon, but it’s blended with sophistication and subtlety. Oliver shares the front line with Tim Hamel, a trumpet player that can bring a hot, uptempo number to a boil and then carry a ballad with lyricism and beauty minutes later. The rock solid foundation of all of this is bassist Alex Coleman, who’s clearly grounded in the Ray Brown/Paul Chambers school of keeping the bass steady and swinging.
During the fall of 2021, while on tour in the west coast of Canada with Bernie Senensky (Piano), and Joe Poole (Drums), the group performed a brand new set of original compositions to live audiences which subsequently became the 8-track studio album, ‘The Path’. From Oliver’s opening blues, “Undisputed”, to Hamel’s Wayne Shorter-inspired album title track, the group has produced another exciting offering of original Canadian jazz steeped in the tradition. “With our fourth record we wanted to create something that maintained the group’s original voice and sensibilities while reflecting inspiration from some of our 60s jazz heros.” says Oliver.
Canadian jazz legend, Bernie Senensky has performed with the greats including Art Blakey and the Jazz messengers, Elvin Jones, and Pharoah Sanders. His deep harmonic sense and captivating improvisational style brought an edge to the record that could only be provided by a musician of Senensky‘s stature. With a degree in Jazz Performance under the guidance of Oscar Peterson, drummer Joe Poole has gradually gained an international reputation. His tasteful playing, sense of groove, and rhythmic fluidity have led him to accompany an impressive list of top musicians including Ernestine Anderson, Curtis Fuller, and Marcus Belgrave.
Track Listing:
1. Undisputed (Ryan Oliver) 05:53
2. In the Paint (Tim Hamel) 05:37
3. Summit (Ryan Oliver) 07:57
4. The Path (Tim Hamel) 09:24
5. Blues Down the Stairs (Alex Coleman) 05:01
6. Pockets (Tim Hamel) 04:55
7. Canyon (Ryan Oliver) 06:57
8. Don’t Look Now (Alex Coleman) 06:05
Personnel:
Ryan Oliver: tenor saxophone
Tim Hamel: trumpet
Alex Coleman: bass
Joe Poole: drums
Bernie Senensky: piano
Recorded October 23rd 2021, at the Warehouse, Vancouver, Canada
Mixed & Mastered by Sheldon Zaharko
Artwork by Luke Insect
Photos by Sapalo Shafooli
Review:
This is an all-Canadian quintet with veteran pianist Senensky the best-known name. Given their chosen monicker, it’s no surprise that they follow the broad pathway laid out by the Messengers and continued by the present-day US Cookers. They say they’re inspired by the music of Silver and Mobley, and they have certainly absorbed the essentials of the hard bop style and successfully applied their own grasp to it.
The opener ‘Undisputed’ is by saxophonist Oliver and has a strong, surging motif, its composer peering through the undergrowth effectively, as does Hamel. The trumpeter also does well on his own ‘In The Paint’, played over a funk rhythm, building a neatly edgy solo, as Oliver follows, Senensky – who has performed with Art Blakey – having played his Silver-like tremolos earlier. The title track which has a neat zigzag shape, reveals more of the pianist’s capricious keyboard command and creative spirit, with Poole soloing and Coleman setting the groove for the anthem-like ending. Senensky seems full of surprises, enigmatic on ‘Blues Down The Stairs’ and is a welcome contributor throughout the album, driving or reflective as required while Oliver has his best moments on ‘Pockets’.
The band toured this material around Canada’s West Coast last year and it shows. These eight pieces, all band originals, stack up well and re-pay repeated listening. Hemel is the band’s standout soloist on this hearing, with a nice, crunchy tone and a pleasing level of fluency. Just right for Ronnie Scott’s, I’d say. If only.
Peter Vacher (Jazzwise)
