The postbop WJQ consists of Andrew Rathbun/sax, Jeremy Siskind/p, Tom Knific/b and Keith Hall/dr, and they deliver originals that have multiple themes, directions and rabbit trails. Pieces such as Lighter Than Air” may start with gentle and somber rumblings with Rathbun’s tenor sax, but gears shift at an instant, as in “Everything is Hostile” where rumbling basses lead to bopping blues. Siskind’s piano opens up quietly on “Awe and Remoteness” along with Rathbun’s soprano while the pulse gradually builds up steam, while “Privileged…” has soft and sensuous moments with Hall and Rathbun quickly taking over with gusto. Siskind’s piano falls into a dangerous terrain on “Spin So Violent” with moods shifting as quickly as an optometrist’s testing glasses. The whole team aches wondrously on “Tropopause” and closes in quiet melancholy on “Sand, Salt Grass and Sage.” Well constructed themes and moods.
BluJazz Records