Featured Artist: Clay Ross

CD Title: The Random Puller

Year: 2005

Record Label: Own Release

Style: Contemporary Jazz

Review:

As soon as you sit yourself down ready to listen, a sound of cymbals, sticks and a romantic, soft guitar are calling out to the band as Williams paces himself into a great solo but still behind … Stockton!...whose cymbals sing sweetly and precise as his drums disguise a wonderful tendency to hold the band together. The magic sticks of Stockton are held in his gifted hands! Clay delivers romantic notes; perfect ones, and surprisingly his solo stops to leave the place for Williams, yet again touching and rhythmically in tempo.

Clay has a passionate, unique and personal voice that awakens feelings in audiences. On the improvisational side, he has listened to the greatest of those who are speaking, and this adds to his own distinct voice: a sweet, sometimes melancholic but always precise one. Yet he allows his group to go free whenever they feel the urge and we eventually lose his sound into the whole of it. This is why it is so sweet.

Clay's influences are from Afro-Caribbean Music in "Agora" and while the saxophone spreads the notes, Clay keeps leading with his guitar. So, as far out as the horn goes, the guitar keeps it's notes right there alongside. A great tandem. As Ross, with a total mastery of his guitar plays, Stockton appelle à l’ordre and the melody plays on. Mullholland is just marvelous at holding onto this in the background. Penultimately, the guitar gets sensual and Stockton keeps up the pace until the sounds finally fade away.

“Lost Child” is a delight because of the great solos of Clay, Stockton and Mullholland. “Falez,” “Luna Belle,” “Mindway Road,” “Blue Clay" and “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” leave enough space for Williams to show off his gifts as saxophone player. Stockton is always there at the right time, marking the tempo while always present in the band, thus keeping his touch of craziness but quite a root on the heart. "The Boss” has his drummer!

Clay plays wonderfully soft, romantic and poetically dark in the backgrounds, but overall romantically presque Latin and sweet.  Ross sure gathers the right musicians around him to make a bijou of an album. Each musician involved in this project is superb and the direction of the band is excellent. These cats can jazz every day now and again together.

Tracks: The Random Puller, Agora, Falez, Lost Child, Luna Belle, Midway Road, Blue Clay, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, The Circle Song

Record Label Website: http://Own release

Reviewed by: Dr. Ana Isabel Ordonez

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