Monday, May 20, 2024

Jim Snidero: For All We Know


  Alto saxophonist Jim Snidero has always had a beautiful tone and a bountiful musical imagination. With For All We Know, his latest offering for Savant Records, he has recorded in a trio format with just bass and drums for the first time. Bassist Peter Washington initially worked with the saxophonist in 1987 for a Snidero album on Criss Cross. Snidero must have really liked what he heard on that occasion, since Washington has played on a lot of his recording sessions since that first encounter. Drummer Joe Farnsworth was on Snidero’s last two outings alongside Washington. The two have established a intuitive link that gives Snidero a firm but flexible foundation for his improvisations. I was pretty much hooked by the time Naima came around. That’s the second track in a well-selected range of standards and jazz compositions. He mostly just caresses the exquisite melody of Coltrane’s famous ballad, and that’s enough for me. Other high points include a slowly drifting excursion through Alec Wilder’s Blackberry Winter, featuring a warm-hearted bass solo and lovely brushwork by Farnsworth, the deep blues of Parker’s Mood and the playful exuberance of Willow Weep For Me. For All We Know is a thoroughly bewitching session, and I’m looking forward to Snidero’s further explorations of the trio setting. Definitely recommended. 

Savant SCD 2215; Jim Snidero (as) Peter Washington (b) Joe Farnsworth (d); Saylorsburg, PA, October 24, 2023; For All We Know/ Naima/ Love For Sale/ Blackberry Winter/ Parker’s Mood/ Willow Weep For Me/ My Funny Valentine/ You Go to My Head; 53:27. www.jazzdepot.com


No comments:

Post a Comment