Samuel Blaser: Early In The Mornin’

Trombonist Samuel Blaser’s Early In The Mornin’ is soaked in the blues. The basic quartet of Blaser, keyboardist Russ Lossing, bassist Masa Kamaguchi, and drummer (and harmonica player!) Gerry Hemingway is augmented on three tracks by trumpeter Wallace Roney and alto saxophonist Oliver Lake, separately and apart. Half of the tunes on the disc are traditional tunes, Lonesome Road Blues is credited to Sam Collins, and the balance are perfectly fitting Blaser originals. Lake’s guttural alto is the first thing we hear to open the disc. The rest of the band drifts into the picture, with Lossing’s electric piano supporting the entwined horns of Lake and Blaser as the piece develops. The broad tones of Kamaguchi and the chatty, interactive drums of Hemingway keep things moving right along. Blaser’s Creepy Crawler showcases the big sound of his trombone and Lossing’s electric keyboards provide the right atmosphere for this snaky composition. Truth to tell, every track here has something special going on, and I could spend a lot of time raving about specifics, like the vocal qualities of Blaser’s solo on Tom Sherman’s Barroom, Wallace Roney’s beautiful solo on The House Carpenter, the slithering trio of horns that enlivens the classic blues Levee Camp Moan Blues, or the mutant Sixties vibe that Lossing’s electric keyboard introduces into Blaser’s Klaxon. But I’d rather urge you to get a copy of this CD and discover its wonders for yourself. Like Andy Biskin’s recent 16 Tons project, Blaser draws on the famed Alan Lomax Collection for material, a staggeringly rich source of country blues, jazz, and folk music from around the world. (Currently online at www.culturalequity.org, where there are more than 17,400 audio files.) It’s a deep well that may never run dry, so long as talents like Samuel Blaser and his crew continue to dip into it and make it all new again. Heartily recommended. 
Out Note OTN 626; Samuel Blaser (tbn) Russ Lossing (p, Fender Rhodes & Wurlitzer el p, clav, minimoog, Hammond B3 org) Masa Kamaguchi (b) Gerry Hemingway (d, hca) Wallace Roney (tp on *) Oliver Lake (as on #); Hoboken, NJ & NYC, January 2017; Early in the Mornin’#/ Creepy Crawler/ Tom Sherman’s Barroom/ The House Carpenter*/ Levee Camp Moan Blues*#/ Klaxon/ Mal’s Blues/ Black Betty/ Lonesome Road Blues; 58:30. www.outhere-music.com