Johannes Wallmann - The Town Musicians (2015)

"If I were responsible for an album as good as this, I’d be shouting about it but the package lacks information apart from recording and personnel details plus track listings. There does however seem to be a hidden structure and possibly a narrative to the 12 tracks. The music isn’t lapel-grabbing but it does speak persuasively and in a variety of mood, with a spirit of basic consensus that allows the tunes to develop with everyone making significant statements.

And what super tunes they are, especially Paper Balls, a quiet sizzler that has guitarist Hekselman setting off with bassist Conly in a line, to be caught by Wallmann with trumpeter Johnson in support as the guitar drops back, but not to any routine background function. Part of the delight of this album is derived from the way musicians momentarily out of contention regularly communicate their presence. Then there’s the lengthy November Song, featuring tenorist Stephens’s second of only two appearances. His solo emanates from a sax-guitar-trumpet chorus before Wallmann’s solo and then Hekselman works his wonders behind Conly’s. I’d almost be persuaded that Stephens’s early exit was part of the unwritten scenario. That’s further hinted at by three short interludes based on a piano-bass ostinato, the last featuring Hekselman in distant, excruciating turmoil. The tracks are Wallmann’s bar I Could Have Danced All Night, around which rings are run before the theme becomes Lerner/Loewe as we know them. Fascinating." ~ Nigel Jarrett (Jazz Journal, July 2015)

Tracklist:

01. Water Music - For People Without Aquariums ( 7:48)
02. Wookie's Groove ( 5:56)
03. Interlude #1 ( 1:06)
04. November Song (11:20)
05. Paper Balls ( 5:42)
06. Lakeshore ( 8:53)
07. I Could Have Danced All Night ( 6:39)
08. Interlude #2 ( 1:13)
09. A House For Men And Birds ( 7:11)
10. Town Musicians ( 8:55)
11. Interlude #3 ( 2:52)
12. Concurrencies ( 7:27)

Personnel:

Johannes Wallmann (piano),
Gilad Hekselman (guitar),
Russ Johnson (trumpet),
Sean Conly (bass),
Jeff Hirshfield (drums),
Dayna Stephens (tenor sax on #1 & 4).