LA bred but now East Coast based, trumpeter/composer Danny Jonokuchi released an impressive debut awhile back that featured a big band. This time around, he goes for a vocal quintet with Alexa Barchini/voc, Tim Brey-key, Dave Sanders/g, Alex Frank/b and J amie Eblen/dr. For the five originals, as well as the one standard Jonukuchi takes the songs through shifting moods, like a breeze blowing over the sands at Zuma beach and creating different moods and atmospheres. Barchini’s indie-folk toned voice works well on the bluesy pop piece “Peaks” which blends her voice fragrantly with guitar and keyboards. A funky and R&Bish take of “Night and Day” includes warm soloing by the leader, while “Songs for Days to Come” and the title track meld energetically charged rhythms and kinetic drumming with graceful keyboards weaving in and out like changing scenes in an action movie. The band is quite flexible in their delivery of these well crafted arrangements, showing that good jazz doesn’t have to be all improvisation as much as inspiration.
www.dannyjonokuchi.com