Baritone saxophonist
Jimmy Farace joins forces with the Chicago area’s premier bass and drums team, Clark Sommers and Dana Hall, on his latest release,
Big Shoulders, Big Sounds. With over a dozen previous sessions in which Sommers and Hall were in the rhythm section, the two have developed the art of deft dynamic support and intensity. With nowhere to hide, and without the encumbrance of a chordal instrument, Farace’s smooth and resonant sound is an absolute delight. An imaginative and resourceful soloist, he gets around his saxophone with ease. The trio expounds at length on five of Farace’s original compositions. Especially worthy of close attention are
Prophetic Dreams, which opens with a feeling of hushed melancholy before developing into an animated 3-way conversation, and
DST, where Dana Hall breaks out with an energetic drum solo to lead off this cheerful tune. Another high point comes with the slowly paced
Cloud Splitter, featuring a lovely melody, a well-constructed baritone solo, and a brief bass and drums duet before Farace returns to lead the band out. The trio’s enchanting version of the oft-recorded
I'll Be Seeing You is appropriately tender and yearning. They also explore Strayhorn’s exquisite
Chelsea Bridge and baritonist Charles Davis’
Just Us Blues, which nobody else seems to have picked up on since its appearance on 1963's
Illumination! by the Elvin Jones/Jimmy Garrison Sextet. One aspect of the appeal of this session is the unique baritone/bass/drums format, but it’s the emphasis on mutual communication and a conversational attitude that makes the music work so beautifully. Everybody lets loose on the high-powered finale, appropriately titled
Three Headed Dragon. Three-headed perhaps, but with a common commitment to digging deeply into the music and making the most of it. Gladly recommended.
Shifting Paradigm SP233; Jimmy Farace (bari s) Clark Sommers (b) Dana Hall (drums and cymbals); Chicago, IL, (probably), no dates indicated; Decorah's Dance/ Just Us Blues/ Prophetic Dreams/ DST/ I'll Be Seeing You/ Cloud Splitter/ Chelsea Bridge/ Three Headed Dragon; 62:18. www.shiftingparadigmrecords.com
