So, my new friends in that local jazz trio which was seeking a pianist have heard me play keys and they have yet to ghost me on Facebook. We’ve yet to actually gig (or rehearse, actually) but I’m taking this as a good sign: It seems I’m still in the band—for now. In an attempt to keep it that way, I’ve been mining my own back catalog of album reviews to remind myself what good comping sounds like. So the six-year endeavour of critiquing music for the ST has been of use to me, even if no one else.
Speaking of which, it’s been a great pleasure to get back to reviews after taking last month off. First under the microscope is Jumpin’ at Ari by the Yusu Jazz Band. This is, as the disc’s cover explains, the first album by the sextet from Thailand. At first, that subtitle felt like a subtle effort to set the bar low. And it’s a trap I nearly fell into: listening to the record while washing the dishes, I was already mulling over how to let the artists down gently without sounding patronizing. Something like, “this six-track expeditionary disc was a decent first effort, and listeners should watch this space yada yada yada…”
But then I really started listening, and realized that this freshman record contains some really solid musicianship, punctuated by moments of brilliance which pricked up my ears and made me rewind the track to hear them again. I’m not clear h
