Year: 2003
Record Label: Dodo Music
Style: Contemporary Jazz
Musicians: Jeff Silverbush (tenor saxophone), Joe Fiedler (trombone), David Berkman (piano), Ed Fuqua (double-bass), John Bollinger (drums)
Review: With the proliferation of independent and artist-owned record labels, and the ability to self-promote over the Internet, young artists are getting opportunities for exposure that were heretofore unavailable. Such is the case with tenor player Jeff Silverbush, whose début release, Pojo shows an artist who, while not fully-formed, certainly has promise both as a player and a writer.
Silverbush has surrounded himself with a strong group of players with a collective résumé that includes Andrew Hill, Anthony Braxton, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Tom Harrell and Joe Lovano. Silverbush studied, in fact, with Lovano, and this is reflected in his sound which is big and warm; his sound is also reminiscent of David Murray.
Silverbush spent the latter part of the ‘90s playing and arranging in two bands that were dedicated to performing the music of Wayne Shorter and Thelonious Monk. The Monk connection is clearly evident on “Diva Garcia” and the title track, both of which seem to have tongue firmly planted in cheek; on both tracks Silverbush shows his roots without being overly derivative.
Other tracks have different sources. “Birth of the Earth” has a gritty, bluesy feel that brings to mind Charlie Mingus. Drummer John Bollinger takes what could have been interpreted as a straight medium-tempo swing and plays more loosely with the time. Double-bassist Ed Fuqua locks in comfortably with Bollinger, regardless of how the feel is interpreted.
“This is the Flower” is a free-time tone poem that could fit comfortably in the ECM oeuvre. Pianist David Berkman is at his most impressionistic here, in duet with Bollinger’s sensitive brushwork.
“Big Crinkley” is the most progressive-sounding piece on the release, bordering on the Avante without being too outside; a dark and brooding bass-and-piano figure underpins trombonist Joe Fiedler’s best solo on the date.
It is no surprise that there is a strong sense of chemistry between the players; the material was road-tested on dozens of gigs before the group went into the studio. The interplay between Silverbush and Fiedler is especially evident on the title track, where things break down into an impressive sax-trombone duet where each instrument sometimes leads, sometimes follows.
While Silverbush has not yet completely forged his own sound, he is well on the way with a début release that promises good things to come. Pojo is a set of varied compositions that, with a strong sense of group community and interplay, always maintain a clear focus.
Tracks: Diva Garcia, Pojo, Water, Birth of Earth, This is a Flower, Big Crinkley, The Necessary Ending
Artist's Website: http://www.jeffsilverbush.com/
Reviewed by:
John Kelman
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