Jonathan Finlayson: 3 Times Round

Trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson has been a mainstay in bands led by Steve Coleman since the beginning of this century. He’s also performed with Mary Halvorson, Henry Threadgill and Muhal Richard Abrams. His debut as a leader came in 2012 with Moment And The Message (Pi Recordings). The follow-up, Moving Still (2016, Pi Recordings), featured the same rhythm team of Matthew Mitchell on piano, John Hébert on bass, and Craig Weinrib on drums that appears on his latest opus, 3 Times Round. This stirring sextet date offers a front line of Finlayson with a pair of frequent collaborators, Steve Lehman on alto sax and Brian Settles on tenor and flute. Finlayson wrote all the tunes, a batch of knotty and unpredictable compositions that these first-rate musicians animate with great finesse and brio. Decidedly not easy listening, Finlayson’s music commands your attention with its boldness and intricacy. The band jumps right in on Feints with its complex interlocking parts. Pianist Mitchell takes a bouncy solo to show why he’s in such demand among progressive musicians. Then it’s the turn of the horns. Trading off with brief pungent solos, Finlayson, Lehman, and Settles on tenor engage in a bout of fruitful repartee while the churning rhythm section keeps the tricky groove going. There’s more licks being traded on Grass, with Finlayson’s burnished and thoughtful sound leading the way. Mitchell’s piano solo is a fascinating amalgam of flowing lines and rhythmic surprises, enlivened by the barrage laid down by drummer Weinrib. A Stone, a Pond, a Thought is pensive and brooding. The always impressive Hébert outdoes himself on this tune, with a commanding arco solo at the center of the 9-minute track. One of Finlayson’s best solos comes on the CD’s longest piece, The Moon is New, where his deceptively vulnerable sound rides over the busy rhythm section. Lehman uncorks a powerful solo next, followed by self-contained solos by Settles and Mitchell. Refined Strut is fairly subdued, featuring an exceedingly lovely trumpet solo and a mellow and breathy tenor solo by Settles. Drummer Weinrib plays beautifully on this piece, with a calm and understated ease. He switches to brushes for the melancholy Rope From the Sky, a piece that covers a lot of ground in just over 3 minutes. Mitchell’s penetrating solo is a highlight. Tap-Tap ends the disc. It’s an energetic track with characteristically incisive solos by the horns and pianist Mitchell. As Lehman told an interviewer, “you can’t just dial up your usual bag of tricks” to play Finlayson’s music, which makes it a challenging situation for any musician. Finlayson has surrounded himself with like-minded players who are always ready to respond to what Settles describes as “an expansive perennial-garden landscape ... thoughtfully designed ... with a subtle underlying order.” 3 Times Round is highly recommended and not to be missed.
Pi Recordings PI77; Jonathan Finlayson (tp) Steve Lehman (as) Brian Settles (ts, fl) Matthew Mitchell (p) John Hébert (b) Craig Weinrib (d); Brooklyn, NY, March 5-6, 2018; Feints/ Grass/ A Stone, a Pond, a Thought/ The Moon is New/ Refined Strut/ Rope From the Sky/ Tap-Tap; 53:21. pirecordings.com