Adrian Cunningham - Jazz Speak (2017)

As Adrian says in his liner notes for you the listener, I thank you for spending time with these words and my music… This album is my sincere attempt to connect with you, from experiences and people that have affected me and from which I've done my best to translate into music… I hope you are able to connect with it. Because connection is one of the strengths of this great art form into which I've whole-hardheartedly thrown myself.

For listeners who particularly groove to straight ahead, traditional and cool jazz, Jazz Speak will speak to you. Adrian Cunningham has a great respect for tradition, combining these modes with a bit of bop, swing and pop, all with polish and finesse. On this, his seventh album, he's in top form on tenor saxophone, clarinet and flute, playing his tunes as well as standards. The album title reflects the universal language of jazz, combining the influences of Cunningham's two loves: music and travel. That duality is most obvious in an esoteric musical choice, ''Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake'' by Chinese composer Lü Wencheng, not quite jazz, but alluring all the same, neatly combining ethereal flute with John Clayton's delicate bowed bass. The application of the flute to jazz rhythms is one of Cunningham's strong suits. On his own bluegrass influenced composition ''Appalachia'', Cunningham's breath control over the embouchure is stunning. Drummer Jeff Hamilton has a particularly splashy solo, adding texture to the down-homey quality of the piece. Cunningham applies his power flute playing to Bud Powell's ''Tempus Fugit'', mirroring the composer's own swift and energetic piano flight. As a composer, Cunningham's work is melodic with varying influences. ''The Source'' is a finger snapping trad piece with tenor played at times like a walking bass while a straightforward rendition of Sidney Bechet's ''Petite Fleur'' showcases Clayton cleverly bowing the bassline as if playing a saxophone. Cunningham is reminiscent of Art Pepper on his bop influenced composition ''Getting Down Uptown'' yet on Don Walker's ''Janelle'' he offers a moody, sultry swing, evoking dark after-hours joints. Pianist Ted Rosenthal, the fourth member of the quartet, provides solid support with consistently graceful prowess. His solo on the Harold Arlen-Ted Koehler standard ''Let's Fall in Love'' is a standout, echoing Cunningham's airy clarinet style within a romping swing motif. Cunningham's clarinet features round, full-bodied tones produced with great clarity. His excellence is evident in the Duke Ellington-Barney Bigard classic ''Mood Indigo'', beginning in a sultry, dreamy lower register and opening to a full range of keys with creative improvisational ideas. Synergy is a key feature of the entirety of Jazz Speak, with the players in a pleasing, tight groove. The tone is set by Cunningham, whose excellence is, in large part, defined by his ability to completely inhabit every note he plays.

TRACKLIST

01. The Source
02. Let's Fall In Love
03. Mood Indigo
04. Getting Down Uptown
05. Rachel's Dance
06. Appalachia
07. Petite Fleur
08. Jazz Speak
09. Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake
10. Tempus Fugit
11. Janelle



All thanks go to the original releaser