Ascension (HighNote)
Black Art Jazz Collective
Raleased June 26, 2020
Stereogum 10 Best Jazz Albums Of 2020
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About:
The Black Art Jazz Collective was founded in 2012 by Wayne Escoffery and Jeremy Pelt with the aim of honoring and preserving the art of some of the progenitors of jazz who inspired them, hired them and mentored them first hand. And while the band does pay homage to the greats of the past they also continue the evolving tradition of jazz with a body of work that remains firmly entrenched in the modernism of today. From the angular melody of Escoffery’s “Involuntary Servitude,” to the ingratiating groove of Pelt’s “For the Kids,” the ensemble extends the range and potential established by their illustrious predecessors with innovative original compositions, solos that run the gamut from thoughtful to virtuosic and a shared sense of purpose that is unique on today’s jazz landscape.
Track Listing:
1. Ascension 5:36
2. Mr. Willis 4:16
3. Involuntary Servitude 6:45
4. Twin Towers 6:28
5. Words Needed 1:54
6. Tulsa 6:32
7. Iron Man 6:31
8. For the Kids 5:33
9. Birdie’s Bounce 4:27
Personnel:
Wayne Escoffery: tenor saxophone
Jeremy Pelt: trumpet
James Burton III: trombone
Victor Gould: piano
Rashaan Carter: bass
Mark Whitfield Jr.: drums
Produced by Jeremy Pelt and Wayne Escoffery
Recorded January 11, 2020, at Van Gelder Recording Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Engineered by Maureen Sickler
Mixed and Mastered by Katsuhiko Naito
Photography by William Brown
Graphic Design by Irem Ela Yildizeli
Review:
On the third Black Art Jazz Collective album, three of its founding members — saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, and trombonist James Burton III — are backed by a new rhythm section: pianist Victor Gould, bassist Rashaan Carter, and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr. The concept remains what it was on the first two records. This is a band of highly skilled improvisers with a fondness for harmonic complexity, energetic but thoughtful solos, and swing, nodding explicitly to musicians like McCoy Tyner, Woody Shaw, and others who were making high-level acoustic jazz when fusion was much more fashionable and lucrative. But there’s nothing dry or antiseptic about their art. They love this music, and that love comes through on every track.
Phil Freeman (Stereogum)
