I
love the flute, in any flavor. One of the best things that ever happened to
jazz, was the addition of the flute to the arsenal of instruments with which
reed artists have become proficient. It adds a sound — and bright tone — that
bring compositions to life.
Lori
Bell is a virtuoso musician who excels with this “horn,” in both the C and alto
versions. This release, her ninth, features her quartet: pianist Tamir
Hendelman, bassist Katie Thiroux, and drummer Matt Witek.
Although
Bell resides in San Diego, this album is a homage to New York City and the
surrounding areas where she spent her early years. She’s both an
instrumentalist and an expert composer; she wrote six of these nine songs. The other
three are Charles Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Times Square,” Thelonious Monk’s “52nd
Street Theme,” and Earl Hagen’s “Harlem Nocturne.” She arranged all of them.
You’ll immediately notice the quartet’s
“lightness” and soft swinging sound. “Beauty” isn’t often used as a jazz descriptor,
but that’s a decent term in this case. Bell delivers “happy” music, no matter
the tempo; that’s due not only to her fine flute work, but also to the equally accomplished efforts of her
band mates. They’re all very tasty artists, and they swing nicely.
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