When pianist Bill Charlap featured Tom Harrell at a recent gig with his trio at New York‘s Jazz Standard, he summarized the trumpeter‘s genius as concisely as anyone could. “It is our honor and privilege,” he announced, “To share the bandstand with a man who is a living, breathing melody.” For this latest HighNote release, featuring a razor-sharp quintet with saxophonist Mark Turner and guitarist Charles Altura, Harrell & company combine complex compositions, seductive rhythms, advanced harmonic concepts, vibrant solos and sheer inspiration in an album which transcends the jazz idiom. This is perhaps Harrell‘s most imaginative recording to-date, with the scoring for the piano-less, tenor sax and guitar front line ensemble sui generis among his work.
