Ro

Album Review

Young guitarist Nick Russo has "+11" embedded on the front cover of this, his debut recording, but there's no eleven-tet collectively for any of the tracks. There are 11 different musicians in various quartet to septet configurations, playing a modern mainstream and progressive jazz that occasionally reflects a world fusion component. Russo uses his electric guitar in single line fashion, crafting melodies and vehicles for group interplay in a program of all original material he has written and arranged. What Russo has accomplished with this introspective music is creating a sonic palette that is balanced, even-handed between all of the instruments, and relatively free of derivation. He expresses no big ego and does not grandstand or wail on any level. Fender Rhodes and acoustic pianist Art Hirahara is on the entire collection, and he is also a voice sublimated for the greater good of the ensemble. The standout piece, the title selection, is a beautiful modal spirit song in recurring beats of eight and a measure of seven, featuring the union of vocalist Miles Griffith and the outstanding tenor saxophonist Mark Turner. Griffith turns in a scat bridge, and the piece flows effortlessly. If you enjoy the musics of Robert Glasper, Avishai Cohen, or Jason Lindner, this will be right up your alley. Close behind in excellence, "Untitled" sports an ostinato repeat intro, completely different from the easy swing main line led by emerging jazz trumpeter Greg Glassman. Perhaps at some point Russo will separate these segments and give them their own lives. There's some attractive, spacy free improv involved in "Little Hands" and the near-11-minute "Please Come Home," both inserting drone box, the former also sporting a Balkan dance motif, the latter with tabla adapting a raga form to creative modern jazz. "Mitzvah" incorporates klezmer, tabla, and Griffith's scat as well as a sung lyric, while "Moy Zaichick" is chameleonic in its rock-funk to hard swinging swivel. At times Russo himself skitters, squeals, or sways, depending on his concept, but is not a high wire artist, nor does he employ sustanato. A little Brazilian music slips in, as does hard bop, and slight dingy blues on "Mmm." Notable rhythm mates on four selections are bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Ari Hoenig. A project filled with nice ideas and good potential, Russo's expanded discography should be a welcome addition to jazz in its second century. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide