Here’s a label that you need to start being friends with. Summit Records has been putting out some straight-ahead music for awhile, and this latest stash of releases is as fresh as mint tea.
Bassist Kris Berg leads a big band through a collection of modern sounding originals and intriguingly arranged jazz standards here. When he’s on the electric bass, he takes his band on an Average White Band journey, and turns up the funk on “Games” and “RU Chicken?” with some hot soloing by Collin Hauser/as, Wayne Bergeron/tp and Jeff Robbins/ts. An Oliver Nelsonish “Forgotten Thoughts” carries some blues and abstract truths, with Tim Ishii’s alto making a good impression. A dreamy reading of “The Gentle Rain” has some cirrus clouds formed by Chris Vadala’s flute, while a gloriously abstract take of Wayne Shorter’s “Night Dreamer” is spotlighted by Clay Jenkins’ rich trumpet. Excellent outing for big band fans!
On the other side of the spectrum, guitarist Nobuki Takamen keeps the sound to either a trio or quartet on this impressive collection of originals. He’s blessed with a personal tone on the electric guitar, and his use of notes is judicious, well crafted and lyrical. He can swing and bop with the best, as he shows on “A Long Way Ahead,” and the driving but not overbearing “Let’s Get Five.” The team of Toshiyuki Tanahasi/b and Akihito Yoshikawa-Naoki Aikawa/dr bops and ricochets with more bank shots than the Harlem Globetrotters on “Jimi’s Swing,” and “Underground Theme Song,” while they can go so melodic that their “Homeward Bound” begs for lyrics for accompaniment. A six stringer’s delight.
Summit Records
www.summitrecords.com