Personnel: David Redmond (b), Jason Rigby (ts), Bill Carrothers (p), Kevin Brady (d) Recorded in Munich, Germany, 2012
Ah 2012… it was a very good year… at least for blue-blooded girls of independent means. Unlike what the Frank Sinatra classic suggests I personally didn’t get to ride in many limousines that year, however bassist Dave Redmond did release a record that thirteen years later has found its way onto high rotation on my CD player this month. That’s right, CDs. From my cold dead hands Daniel Ek, cold dead hands. They are coming back I tells ya. Trust me on this.
Roots, released by the Spanish Fresh Sound label where Ireland’s own Redmond and drummer Kevin Brady share the roster with names like Avashai Cohen, Ethan Iverson and Brad Mehldau, showcases ten original tunes which betray a maturity and compositional prowess that does their leader proud. Joined by New York based saxophonist Jason Rigby and Michigan pianist Bill Carrothers, with whom the lads have quite an extensive playing history now, the record certainly holds its own more than a decade later.
I actually came back around to this record as I have been on somewhat of a Jason Rigby kick of late. It all started with a slight obsession with the Mark Guiliana record Family First, where Rigby executes himself with notable poise. A quick google algorithm later and here we are. Rigby is definitely one of the hippest saxophone players out there now. Not only does he does he have all the language and all the semiological gestures of a contemporary New York cat at his fingertips, he has that extra thing of a personal melodicism, a “voice” for want of a less pukey adjective. I really like it when I can hear all the language and all the history of the music through someone’s playing, but also like some Star Trek wormhole it is spread asunder and the honest musical personhood is visible at the core of all of it, placed into context and given meaning by the language, the chops, and the tradition. I like it when I feel I can hear a musician hearing, if that makes sense, and not just responding with all their knowledge and learning etc., but candidly reacting, ears clearly speaking through hands. I feel like I get that from Rigby. It is that something more than just killing saxophoning.
While my saxophone bias could lead me rant all day about Rigby, nobody in this quartet are anything less than incredible musicians. Redmond himself has now clearly positioned himself as one of the most happening bassists in the Eurosphere. When I think of describing his playing what comes to mind is a trio gig I did with him and drummer Sean Carpio, where upon asking Carpio who he would like to have with us on bass, responded that Redmond has the most meat under his hands of anyone he can think of. The guy swings. He is one of those musicians that make everyone else sound better. There is a kind of infectious billowing warmth to his sound, and where he lands on the pulse. If you haven’t heard him, go see him, and buy his recordings dagnabbit - put some money in this man’s pocket.
Redmond and Brady have been a long time rhythm section match up. When I first washed up on Ireland’s shores I would hear them with pianist Phil Ware a lot. Brady has been actively developing the relationship with Carrothers since 2007. His 2021 release Plan B, featuring the trio with another great saxophonist Seamus Blake in a more electrified modality, is the subject for another day, but it demonstrates how enduring this rhythm section project is. Carrothers is somewhat of a legend. He has played with people like Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller and Lee Konitz among many, many more super-important Jazz musicians. Yet while he has done many wonderful things in his career, his website however, replete with Barry Manilow love letters, is up there with his greatest contributions to Western culture. In a similar vein to what I said about Rigby, Carrothers is a musician with all the stuff, and then something.
All the compositions on Roots have a kind of spacious melodic nature that suits the group well. Brady’s popping cymbals pleasingly meet ostinatos on a number of takes. A good example being the second track, Vertigo (wait… did Carrothers half quote Fur Elise in that intro?), where the Phrygian Dominant vibes definitely will have played well to the Spanish record label. They just love that scale those guys. In some ways the title track is an outlier to the overall set, being more of post-bop banger than many of the other compositions, but the solos on this take certainly show why it was the one to name the record after. There is a relaxed burning, really on the whole record, which this track exemplifies.
Lastly, it has to be the final track, entitled Last Call that is my favourite. Perhaps because I love Redmond’s playing and there is a bass solo up front. Perhaps because I love bass harmonics, and there are those. Perhaps I really enjoy the final take dropping strict time; it is a beautiful composition. Perhaps it is the pianists pleasing motivic development. Perhaps I just enjoy last calls too much. Whatever the reason, if you are still reading at this point you should go immediately to Bandcamp or better yet grab a CD from freshsoundrecords.com. I like to imagine that every time I buy a CD Daniel Ek sheds a small tear as he sits in his Swedish mega-mansion, lonely and forlorn, staring vacantly at some oatmeal. One can wish.
