Wayne Horvitz assembles a chamber-like jazz band to create a charming pastoral collection of originals. The themes and accompanying writings of each song focus on wide open prairies and plains, with Ron Miles/ct, Sara Schoenbeck/bassoon, Peggy Lee/cel, Tim Young/g, Keith Lowe/b and Eric Eagle/dr creating an organic team for Horvitz’s piano, B3 and electronics.
Some of the material such as “Money or a Story” has an indie band feel with mid tempo grooves. A polite Monk playfulness is felt with Miles’ cornet on “You Must have Stayed Hours” and the band is its most jazzy with Miles on the hip “Last Place Three.” Horvitz creates a romantic and homespun mood on the warm “In Some Other Place” and the prisymatic “For Jim and Lois Welch” while Lee’s cello and gentle waves on “you Drink Until You Are Mayor” and a dash of mystery on “The Beautiful Wives” along with Horvitz’s eerie piano musings. Rich reeds glow on “Tohse Who Remain Are the Worst” and a wondrous “Some Places Are Forever Afternoon” closes the album with a charming chase. Modern and evocative.
Songlines Records