Bassist Michael Blanco leads a melodious quintet with John Ellis/ts-ss, Jonathan Kreisberg/g, David Cook/p and Mark Ferber through a collection of impressive and invigorating originals. Lyrical and cheerful melodies like “Dutch Kills” and the title track feature Ellis with a vibrant tone on his tenor, while his soprano on the strolling “Smithlike” is strident and penetrating. An intriguing take on the standard “Emily,” here titled “Emily’s Wedding” caresses the original theme with a couple extra layers of satin. Kreisberg’s guitar tone and stylings are impressively on display on “Midnight,” while the leader’s molasses thick and sweet-toned bass is gorgeously spotlighted on “Postcard.” This guy has a great instinct for flowing moments of notes in all the right places.
Nineteen Eight Records
www.blancobass.com