By Jim Allen
When it comes to trumpeters on the NYC straight-ahead jazz scene, Jim Rotondi is strictly top-shelf. He’s been making his musical presence felt since the ‘90s, and while he’s deep into his recording career by this point, 1000 Rainbows nevertheless finds him employing an approach that’s not only tonally spotless but emotionally open, achieving a searching quality even while showing miles of sophistication. With a band that includes New York vibes legend Joe Locke and renowned drummer Bill Stewart, Rotondi blows through a batch of tunes that offer plenty of opportunity to show off both his peerless phrasing and his warm, intimate tone. “Born To Be Blue” is a cool-jazz style tune where Rotondi unleashes riffs firmly in the Chet Baker/Miles Davis tradition; the simmering title track is full of impressive improv, from both the bandleader and Locke, while a hard-bop reinvention of The Beatles’ classic “We Can Work It Out” takes the tune so far from its harmonic origins that Rotondi should have his own composers’ credit on the track. There are countless other jazz players in New York who work outside the box, but when it comes to making an impact on the inside, Rotondi offers up a world of colors all his own on 1000 Rainbows.