Label:
Genre: Crossover Jazz
GAB's Rating: ★★★★★
Adam Meckler is among a handful of jazz artists who are helping put Minneapolis on the map as a jazz/improv scene worth a road trip. Meckler’s nine originals on his sophomore album, Wander, follow a progressive, explorative route and are peppered by elements from RnB, pop, indie rock and more. Groove is paramount on many cuts, as is impeccable melodicism, underlying lyricism, and rhythms which seem straightforward but often are not. Meckler (who also uses flugelhorn on some tracks) is joined by other Twin City jazz players. Nelson Devereaux is on tenor sax and soprano sax; the rhythm section comprises drummer Greg Schutte and bassist Graydon Peterson; Zacc Harris is on guitar; and tenor saxophonist Joe Mayo guests on the opening number.
Movement—going from destination to destination—is the CD’s clearest aesthetic connection. Meckler states, “I’ve spent a lot of time on the road over the last decade. That means leaving family and friends at home. While this can be difficult, travel often leads to discovery and discovery is the catalyst for new art.” The album’s title links Meckler’s viewpoint. It is taken from a line in a poem in J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: “Not all who wander are lost.” The other reason for the album name is because the record was taped live during three different nights at three different Twin City venues.
Wander proceeds with two persuasive pieces. First is the nine-minute title track, which starts in a quiet mood and gradually builds, from a rubato melody to a brighter groove (which moves from 4/4 to 7/4 time). There is a mix of composed and improvised sections. On the second tune, the eight-minute “The Sun Sets Slowly,” Peterson supplies a notable introductory bass solo. The band maintains a darting groove broken by variances in the phrases, which provides an off-kilter but never bothersome fluctuation. Harris showcases his hollow-body guitar around the six minute mark, as the horns temporarily settle back to give him space.
Meckler is well-read. Besides Tolkien, Meckler is also stimulated by Wisconsin author/poet Norbert Blei. The mid-tempo and satisfying “One Creaking Birch Tree” gets its title from one of Blei’s books about preserving nature and natural landscapes. The cut has some prominent dialogues between trumpet and sax. Meckler plans to continue his involvement with Blei’s works via a larger band project in 2017, so “One Creaking Birch Tree” might be considered a sneak peek of bigger things to come. Read more...
1 Wander
2 The Sun Sets Slowly
3 One Creaking Birch Tree
4 The Call
5 Improvisation
6 Little Wild Child
7 Let's Live
8 Drew's Beard
9 Atomium Jules
Adam Meckler – trumpet, Flugelhorn
Nelson Devereaux – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Joe Mayo – tenor saxophone
Zacc Harris – guitar
Graydon Peterson – bass
Greg Schutte – drums
BUY IT @
