Trips Jobs and Journeys by Noah Rosen

18 Feb

Written by Glenn Astarita
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Brooklyn, NY., born Noah Rosen’s debut outing as a leader was recorded in Paris (his home-base), as the pianist apparently draws from his extensive musical career, for this multifaceted trio date.

Rosen uses space to his advantage on the piece titled "Trips." Moreover, the artist doesn’t overtly rush the sequence of events into frenzied escapades, especially when we consider the free-jazz tendencies of this recording. As Rosen’s meticulously constructed frameworks consist of heavy-handed block chords and swirling clusters. Here, bassist Didier Levallet’ and drummer Makoto Sato provide the leader of this date with all the ammo required! At times, the band surges forward with the impetus of a freight train hitting top speeds. Although Rosen is apt to inject a few swing grooves into his rhythmically articulated chord voicings. They bob, weave, and ensnare each other’s ideas in outwardly dynamic fashion. Sure, there’s some derivation from the Cecil Taylor freeform canon, yet Rosen and his rhythm section render a stylistic approach, awash with personalized proclamations. Nonetheless, this set features an amalgamation of veiled themes and micro-motifs. An inspiring musical journey indeed!