Jane Ira Bloom - The Nearness (1996)

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Jane Ira Bloom - The Nearness (1996)

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When listening to music, it is extremely rare to find a recording where every single element seems flawlessly executed. In my opinion that is the case with this CD. Not only is the musicianship incredible, so are the production aspects of the recording. It becomes clear quickly that Jane Ira Bloom spent a considerable amount of time paying attention to the details of this recording.
For saxophonists not familiar with Bloom's playing, this is an excellent release to do so with. The tunes are a mixture of originals and arranged standards and offer some great ensemble playing as well as solo work. Bloom has also procured a stellar group to create the music with as well, including Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and flugelhorn, Julian Priester on trombones, Bobby Previte on drums, Rufus Reid on bass, and Fred Hersch on piano.
Bloom's soprano tone should be a benchmark for musicians wishing to hear what a well-played soprano saxophone sounds like. Not only is her "sound" superb, so are her incredibly well-chosen notes in solo passages. Bloom has an great amount of facility in all registers and blends this seemlessly with the arrangements around her.
Notable cuts on this CD include "nearly Summertime" which treats this standard with a truly innovative and sensitive hand. This arrangement winds and twists through a straight ensemble ballad to an almost free-jazz feeling. The same comments hold true for the following cut, "Midnight Round/`Round Midnight" which has been reinvented in a way that would make even Monk smile.
Track 7, "Panosonic," is a burning tune that features a head which would make any sax player shudder (all those unisons with the piano, yow! And on soprano even…). This tune also features some great solos by Bloom, Priester and Wheeler. The way in which solos transition is a welcome relief from the standard "I'm done, now you play your licks" approach. Throughout this CD, listeners who are expecting a "jazz" album will be forced to reconsider their assumptions about the way this music is played. Yes this is jazz, but no, it is not the same tired approach. Bloom is an innovator and this CD sparkles with subtle and complex touches.