I don’t know whether or trumpeter Marquis Hill got this album deal with Concord Records because he won the 2014 Thelonious Monk Competition, but it’s a good disc either because of it or despite it. He’s got an attractively warm tone on the horn, and he mixes the tradition with modern semblances here with a team of Christopher McBride/as, Justin Thomas/vib, Makaya McCraven/dr and Joshua Ramos/b.
The album opens with vocalist Meagan McNeal introducing the band with the Chicago Bulls theme, delivering a hip atmosphere. After that, the material is vintage bop pieces from the likes of Horace Silver, Donald Byrd and Herbie Hancock mixed with standards from the same period. The distinction is that the rhythm team lets the groove roll out in a “modern urban” mood, with less “bop” and more “be.” Thus, “My Foolish Heart” has a slick little R&B lilt along with Christie Dashiell’s tender voice to intertwine with Hill’s horn. Hill’s horn glistens on “Prelude” and a subtle “Moon Rays” and even better, a solo read of “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” glistens like a full moon. Other intriguing moments are with a read of “Maiden Voyage” including subtle vocals and darker hues while an Afro-Cuban arrangement of “Fly Little Bird Fly” are amended with some beat prose by Harold Green III, who also does an encore with “”The Way We Play/Minority.”
This is a guy that listens to more than one generation, and has something to say to both.
Concord Records