Joe Martin: Semente
Musicians:
Joe Martin (bass), Brad Mehldau (piano), Chris Potter (tenor sax), Marcus Gilmore (drums).
Composed by Joe Martin
.Recorded: NYC, January 2009
Rating: 91/100 (learn more)
You must be a pretty good acoustic bass player if you stand out without even having to solo, and even more so when your backing band consists of cats like these. But these cats are superb team players, too, and do much to bring out the potential of Martin’s Brazilian-inspired tune. Gilmore summons up a busy samba beat, but Martin is blending in with him so well, it’s sometimes hard to tell who’s really keeping time. Meanwhile, Mehldau comps with keen perceptiveness, finding every crevice in the sound and filling them in with well placed chords. Potter lays down the main motif that just glides over the intricate weaves of rhythms and harmony below, and sometimes jumping right into the pocket.
“Semente” is a perky, crisp ensemble tune made even better by a great, ensemble-minded group of musicians.
Reviewer: S. Victor Aaron
Tags: 2000s jazz
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