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It Might As Well Be Spring
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Tenor plus rhythm ranks along with the piano trio as among the most venerable of jazz schematics. These sorts of quartets are so pervasive and precedent-burdened these days that some folks think they should be put out to pasture altogether. Seasoned horn men like Larry Schneider exist on the scene to punch holes in such fallacious styles of thinking. Schneider caught his break with Billy Cobham in 1975. Subsequent trials by fire with Horace Silver and Bill Evans further solidified his style out of post-Coltrane and bop influences like many of his peers. Inking a deal with Steeplechase in 1976, first as sideman, later as leader, that still holds currency today, he’s gone on to record fifteen albums for the Danish label. This latest offers up a potpourri of tunes with composers ranging from Béla Bartók to the band’s own pianist Andy Laverne.
Oddly enough, Schneider’s sound and phrasing on tenor recall the finicky pitch preferences of Von Freeman, especially on ballads. Quite frequently he’ll whittle away at a motif as it spools out of his sax, etching wavering inflections in its texture and lagging languidly behind the beat. On the more up tempo pieces like the terse reading of “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” realized in duo configuration with Adam Nussbaum’s propulsive, but responsive sticks, his tone necessarily hardens and tightens up as he adheres closer to the melody. Mike Richmond holds the fourth slot on bass, his bulbous, modestly amplified lines insulating the band’s breaches with viscous harmonic glue. “Draul,” the Bartók piece, seems at first like unusual jazz victuals, but Schneider leads his men through a nourishing repast on the folk-flavored theme. Nussbaum makes an impressive showing in his role as rhythmic colorist with mallets and brushes. Schneider imbues a swirling cry into his expositions that this time divine the weathered emotionalism of Kidd Jordan sans the saturnalian side.
Chosen standards on the date supply a resourceful mix of old and new. The title track and “Beautiful Love” suggest Schneider’s ability to succinctly apply his modern sensibilities to aged pop fare. For the latter, he and Richmond go it alone and his opening unaccompanied statement dovetails beautifully into a close conversation. On Tad Dameron’s “If You Could See Me Now” and Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way,” each folded into the program’s middle, Schneider’s horn seems even better suited. He draws the first ballad with careful attention to lush detail. Tenor purrs slowly through the melody for a protracted sequence of choruses that leave behind a bittersweet aftertaste. The second piece possesses surliness at the start that runs contrary the sorghum sentiments of its title. Schneider’s sound soon softens, but there’s still and urgency to his phrasing further driven by Richmond and Nussbaum’s prodding support. A pair of Laverne’s tunes complete the program along with Thad Jones’ “Kids Are Pretty People.” All three tracks are comparable in caliber to what’s come before.
From first bar to last, Schneider and his colleagues argue a compelling case. The crux- it’s still possible to make vital new music with standard issue tenor-led quartets. In other words, if it ain’t broke, there’s no need to replace it. |
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ARTISTS
Andy LaVerne (piano)
Adam Nussbaum (drums)
Mike Richmond (bass)
Larry Schneider (tenor sax, alto sax)
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TRACKS
1. It Might As Well Be Spring
2. Draul
3. Stompin' At The Savoy
4. If You Could See Me Now
5. In Your Own Sweet Way
6. Beautiful Love
7. WYHIWYG (What You Hear Is What You Get)
8. Kids Are Pretty People
9. Lester's Line
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