Songbook - Jason Palmer

I first got hip to Jason Palmer when I checked out some of his music on SoundClick.  One performance that I attached to immediately was a rendering of the standard "All the Things You Are." Jason took that tune in every possible direction and I marveled at his command of the horn and his ideas. I had never really heard the song performed that freely before. After hearing that performance, I looked forward to his first CD release. That release, entitled Songbook, has arrived via Avaya records and I was right to be excited about it.

All of the songs on this album are written and arranged by Jason. I really like where he's going with his compositions. To my ears he pays homage to the jazz tradition but he still manages to move the music/genre forward. My favorite tunes are the energetic "Checkmate," the cleverly named "Shadowboxer" and "One for J Mac" which is dedicated to the late great Jackie McLean. When I listened to "Found It" I immediately thought of Booker Little who I think Jason admires as well.

His writing skills are equally matched by his prowess on trumpet. Joining Jason on Songbook are Warren Wolf on vibes (who plays a great solo on "The Shadowboxer"), Leo Genovese on piano/Rhodes, Matt Brewer on bass and Tommy Crane on drums. The group as a whole sounds really good and they are joined by Greg Osby on alto and Ravi Coltrane on tenor.

Jason was listed as one of the top 25 young trumpet players on today's jazz scene. In the article he was described as an adventurous player within his music but he stressed that he "doesn't want to lose the movement, the danceability." I agree with his approach wholeheartedly and Songbook accomplishes exactly what he aims for. The more I listen to it, the more I find to like about it. Highly recommended!

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