JD Allen: The Dark, The Light, The Grey and The Colorful

Tenor saxist JD Allen has built a career creating a tone that is reminiscent of the lionesque roar of Ben Webster. This time around, he tightens it up a bit and taps into his inner Dexter Gordon, with more of an edge on this Spartan album with Gregg August-Ian Kenselaar/b and Nic Cacioppo/dr. In a trio setting as such, there’s a lot of room for emotion, and Allen hits the long tones for “Time” and lowly and dark on Cutting”, while getting desultory for “Know Thorn”. Cacioppo and either August or Kenselaar create almost ambient support for these clarion calls, with deft brushes on “Happiness” and a bowed lament on “Know Rose”. Emotions from a reed.

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