Ben Wendel, All One, Edition ****

Deserves all the awards going for arranging All One has many icons of the music as guests of the Canada born saxist-composer Ben Wendel's. So these are of course of interest in themselves given the presence of among others Bill Frisell, Cécile …

Published: 19 Apr 2023. Updated: 11 months.

Deserves all the awards going for arranging All One has many icons of the music as guests of the Canada born saxist-composer Ben Wendel's. So these are of course of interest in themselves given the presence of among others Bill Frisell, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Terence Blanchard, José James, Elena Pinderhughes and Tigran Hamasyan.

The arrangement of Bill Frisell's 'Throughout' (a piece that appeared on 1983's In Line way back at the beginning of the guitarist's headlining career) is if push comes to shove tops for us among the tracks tied with José James' perfect vocal on 'Tenderly'. Wendel folds in so much of his panoramic instrumentalism here and the repertoire spans music by the Gershwins, Wendel originals and that Walter Gross/Jack Lawrence evergreen that James so winningly interprets. Ingeniously produced across an array of studio locations the sonics are warm and tactile a testament to recent production innovation and the skill in deploying such. All the disparate elements come together and deliver a positive outcome that glistens at ever turn.

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Wendel is on Tom Ollendorff's upcoming album Open House. 'Tenderly,' 'Throughout,' 'Wanderers' and the Elena Pinderhughes flute feature 'Speak Joy' are streaming. On 'Tenderly' here. Ben Wendel, photo: All One sleeve detail

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Jakob Bänsch, Opening, Jazzline ***1/2

Old soul Jakob Bänsch, 20, who hails from north western Baden-Württemberg, sounds as if he has been playing for decades beamed down from a time Roy Eldridge and Clifford Brown strode the planet. But this is the German trumpeter and composer's first …

Published: 19 Apr 2023. Updated: 11 months.

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Old soul Jakob Bänsch, 20, who hails from north western Baden-Württemberg, sounds as if he has been playing for decades beamed down from a time Roy Eldridge and Clifford Brown strode the planet. But this is the German trumpeter and composer's first recording as a leader. More than just the considerable individualism on his part the Jakob Obleser double bass riff for instance - think the style of Jahmal Nichols - at the beginning of 'Kiss and Run' shows alert group instincts and an exhilarating Niklas Roever piano accompaniment provides a good deal of syncopated interest at this point.

The core group is a quartet with additional vocals, percussion, viola and cello contributions on 'Yearning'. If you are a fan of UK player Laura Jurd you will probably like this sound timbrally although the fairly ''straightahead and mainstream'' wrapping is more 1990s ''Young Lions'' than Jurd's favoured directions. 'Farewell' at the end sports a brass band, hymnal, dimension. All in all a fine start for anyone's recording career. Observe Bänsch branch out more when he is on tour soon. 'Yearning' and 'Repression' are streaming. Opening is out on 28 April. Jakob Bänsch, photo: via Mosaik