Daily jazz blog, Marlbank

Joey Alexander, Continuance, Mack Avenue ****

An album that works like a charm. And while sometimes you wonder who the icons of the future are - well the future is happening now and the infectiously grooving Continuance from Joey Alexander is more evidence that the Indonesia-born player is in …

Published: 21 Nov 2023. Updated: 8 months.

An album that works like a charm. And while sometimes you wonder who the icons of the future are - well the future is happening now and the infectiously grooving Continuance from Joey Alexander is more evidence that the Indonesia-born player is in the new pantheon.

Tunes are vibrant and more than feelgood - they just seem to tap the moment, take Theo Croker's part on 'Why Don't We'. Croker is on several tracks but the album operates just as much as a trio album elsewhere. Alexander's use of mellotron to conjure the sound of flute on 'Aliceanna' is more than simply a gimmick and transforms the mood of the album entirely.

Remarkably the twentysomething pianist/composer Alexander's 7th album, bubbling bass from Kris Funn is part of the secret sauce (in the spotlight particularly at the beginning of 'Zealousy') with John Davis keeping a firm tilt on drums and who plays a bit like Brian Blade at times. The album contains 5 new Alexander originals plus the band's take on Bonnie Raitt number 'I Can't Make You Love Me' and the venerable hymn 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness'. Warm and welcoming - what's not to like?

Tags:

Track of the week: Adam Bałdych and Leszek Możdżer, 'Passacaglia'

Straddling the Levant more than the baroque on 'Passacaglia' - Adam Bałdych's violin even sounds like an oud at times - and if you're into Michael League and Bill Laurance's latest album Where You Wish You Were the chamber music feel of …

Published: 21 Nov 2023. Updated: 8 months.

Next post

Straddling the Levant more than the baroque on 'Passacaglia' - Adam Bałdych's violin even sounds like an oud at times - and if you're into Michael League and Bill Laurance's latest album Where You Wish You Were the chamber music feel of 'Passacaglia' from Bałdych and extraordinary pianist fellow Pole Leszek Możdżer's latest album which is to be released in January via ACT and Imaginary Music sits well. The duo played together for the first time as long ago as at the Wrocław Opera in 2009 reuniting for Passacaglia, certainly a crossing boundaries album that we can't wait to hear in full.