Best known as the saxist for The Rolling Stones, Tim Ries also has a secret life as a jazz musician, showing up on albums with the likes of Jack DeJohnette, Bob Belden and John Patitucci. He released a clever jazzing up of Stones tunes a number of years ago, but this latest release has him jumping in with both feet in terms of compositions and teammates.
Ries plays tenor sax, soprano sax and alto flute, mixing and matching with an impressive lineup of Scott Colley-James Genus/b, Jack DeJohnette/dr, Bill Frisell/g, Larry Goldings/p-key, Gregoire Maret/harm, Mauro Refosco-Gonzalo Grau/perc, Jasia Ries/vi-voc and Stacey Shames/harp playing on the leader’s compositions, which dominate this album. There are two aspects that stand out the most on this rewarding session. The first is the clever mixing of Ries’ tenor sax with Maret’s Chromatic harmonica on pieces like the fluid and pastoral “As IT Happens”, the flowing title track, a richly Latin “For Elis” and a dramatic “Life Changes Reprise.” Pleasant surprise Number Two is the surprisingly swinging guitar of Frisell, who bops with Goldings and Ries’ soprano on a fun “Monk’s Dream” and snaps with DeJohnette and Ries’s tenor on”Hearing Around Corners.” Jasia Ries floats with Goldings during a gracious “Bella’s Lullaby” and DeJohnette has fun with his sticks on the post bopper “Late Last Night” while string harp and jazz harp are both gentle and sweet on “It’s Magic.” No guest appearances by Nanker Phlege, but they aren’t missed either. Ries is a street fightin’ man all his own here.