It is rather nice in this age of pushing the jazz envelope to within an inch of its life to find a player who embraces the smooth sophistication of the classic ’50s/’60s sound.
Dutch trumpeter Ian Cleaver has put together a quintet for whom the sounds of Louis Armstrong and Chet Baker and the arrangements of Nelson Riddle are something to aspire to. With fine accompaniment from bass, drums, piano and sax / clarinet, his sweet, smoky trumpet tones are cast adrift evoking the sort of dancefloors where snappily dressed characters move sharply, cigarettes aloft and smiles beaming.
Having a five-piece means the sound is full enough, but never to bursting; and the smooth handovers between trumpet and sax or flute are handled with panache as the rhythm section and piano ensure something to hear at every level. It is kind of easy to forget that there are people still out there who put melody and tune at a premium, and this collection is proof of that. On “Pookie”, the samba rhythm touches its peak to the Brazilian masters, with the muted trumpet and flute duetting in a wavering manner that breaks and returns, but is light as a feather; while elsewhere, as on ‘Gloria’, the tempo is slow and sultry with the piano taking the lead as drums skip on the spot. Throughout the album, the piano accompaniment is so subtle, but where given the chance as here and on Cole Porter‘s “I Concentrate On You”, little splashes of Dave Brubeck escape. On some tracks, where the other instruments are given the opportunity to break into a solo, rather than shout at the listener there is more of a tendency to lead them gently and enticingly.Most of the pieces are written by Ian and therefore his trumpet does tend to be at the fore, but it is certainly not to the exclusion of the other players and as he puts his horn through some lively manoeuvres that skip around the rhythm as on the title track, so the others may make a break for freedom and give him a run for his money. Each of the pieces moves at a very different tempo and the sense that the lead instrument is performing a narrative is apparent throughout with, a particularly affecting bass step on “Marijn” that warms the heart.
There is some intricate interplay that tests the players and they are not beyond stepping out of their comfort zone when it is the right thing to do, with some of the longer, more involved pieces certainly proving they aren’t just sleep-walking; but on the whole these are the kind of pieces you could imagine Frank Sinatra tapping his fingers to and waiting for his entrance.The weeping tone of “Blame It On My Youth” is so redolent of black and white film full of sorrowful walks down rain-soaked streets that it is hard to believe it was recorded last year. The way the piano shadows with the bass barely a pulse is a delight of understatement, definitely coming from a less is more direction, while the following “Midge” is straight out of the blocks, the sheer antithesis in hyperactive momentum.
The album ends with a lovely cinematic turn through Joe Henderson‘s “Out Of The Night” and then they politely take their leave, but leave you reeling from the sheer musicality, joy and melody they bring in such profusion. They may look over their shoulders, but they show there is so much more life left in this style of jazz and it is a real pleasure to hear. Who knows what the next instalment may offer; but for now, revel in this masterclass of melody and marvel at the exuberance.-Mr Olivetti-
