Shawn Maxwell leads and intriguing and flexile group here for an ep of 5 clever originals. He’s put together a team of himself on also sax and flute, and then melds it with Casey Fitzpatrick/ss, Rachel Maxwell/fh, Meghan Fulton/fh for woodwinds and brass, and then teams it to contrast and ride along with a rhythm team of Stacy McMichael/b, Marc Piane/b Paul Townsend/dr and soloists Mithc Corso/g, Keri Johnsrud/voci and Stephen Lynerd/vibes.
His way of operation for most of the tunes is to let a horn or two start off all alone to create a melodic riff, and slowly invite other horns to build up the relentless them as a kind of repetitive foundation for the band to either build up on or to tear away from. “Bridge” and “Monster Shoes” are almost fuge-like in their treatment of the motif, with French horns and alt saxes stating themes and drifting into solos. Johnsrud’s ethereal voice floates with the long tones and vibes on “Ava” while the velvety horns create some luscious textures without any percussion on the closing “Plan Z.” Rich and deftly conceived arrangements that take you on an intriguing journey.
Chicago Sessions