Trombonist and composerDavid Gibson has a new CD, his 6th as a leader and 3rd for Posi-Tone Records. With a title like “Boom!“, one might expect the season to be a high-powered, “in-your-face”, hard bop but, instead, this is a pleasingly nuanced set of (mostly) originals that finds Gibson leading an impressive quartet of young musicians including Connecticut native Josh Evans (trumpet), pianist/Fender Rhodes Theo Hill, bassist Alex Claffy (Ralph Peterson) and drummerKush Abadey (Wallace Roney).
Like a number of Posi-Tone records, this session’s music gives off the vibe of mid-1960s Blue Note Records. There are several high-powered numbers, such as “The Cup Bearers” (composed by Tom McIntosh for an Lp of the same name released by trumpeter Blue Mitchell) and Gibson’s “The High Road“, tunes where Abadey’s propulsion, Hill’s muscular chords, and Claffy’s active bass work leads the way. Gibson’s solos tend to be fairly mellow, phrases that are soaked in blue tones, while Evans’ attack has a more forceful attack, not unlike Randy Brecker and Freddie Hubbard. He can be mellow as well; he shows a softer side on the funky “Grass Fed” although the drummer “gooses him into the higher register at the climax of the solo. That track, as well as “Empathy” and “The Dance“, display the influence of Herbie Hancock, especially in the “floating” piano chords and elongated melody lines. Pay close attention on “Empathy” to the work of the rhythm section as the “freedom” in their playing resembles the work of Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams in the Miles Davis Quintet. Whereas, on the title track, one hears the funkier side of the band, not unlike the sounds of Hancock with Billy Hart or Robert Glasper with Chris Dave.
The program close with “Change the World“, the ballad that Eric Clapton had a world-wide hit with the mid-1990s. Gibson et al don’t mess around with the handsome melody and his solo, the only one on the cut, cover a wide swath of sonic territory and is fairly emotional. Again, the soloist locks in with the rhythm section, playing off their energy and cues.
This is one of trombonist David Gibson’s “working” bands (one features organist Jared Gold, along with trumpeter Evans and Abadey adding to Gold’s great organ sound) and most of them are part of Josh Evans Big Band. They know each other and it shows. “Boom!” has heart, soul, funk and fire; this music belongs in your life!
