Chris Graham Trio – After-Birth Of Cool – Independent Label, 28:49 ****:
(Chris Graham – vibraphone; Alex Austin – bass; Oliver Hunt – drums.)
As a musical prodigy in high school, Chris Graham was studying vibraphone and marimba with the Musical Director of the University of Missouri Music Department. Due to his innovative and experimental approach, jazz seemed to be a more fitting avenue for his musical expression. He has recorded original compositions, while performing in the Midwest. At the ripe old age of twenty-four, he is a respected bandleader and music teacher.
After-Birth of Cool is a concise impressive display of a burgeoning talent. The seven tracks are both homage to the era of “Cool”, and an exploration of vibraphone instrumentalism. Backed by a cohesive rhythm section (Alex Austin on bass, and Oliver Hunt on drums), Graham’s confident fluid playing is front and center. The improvisational tone permeates the music as evidenced on “Punchin Trout” an uptempo Latin-fused piece that showcases a biting percussive vibraphone, with straight jazz transitions. There is a delicacy and rich tone throughout the recording. “471 LB. Little Girl” is delivered with an assortment of dulcet striking, sustaining an engaging melody. In a more traditional setting, “1957” and “Salt ‘n Ice” cultivate a swing time dynamic, with spontaneous listenable resonance.
Modern aesthetics are conveyed on “Sirabhorn” and “Icarus”, sophisticated numbers with supple, flowing lines, and assured, crisp execution. Graham’s vibraphone is elegant and technically superior, never frivolous or intrusive to the material. The engineering is precise and flawless, rendering a clean textured sound. At a scant but listenable twenty-nine minutes, After-Birth of Cool announces its arrival, but hastens an exit.
TrackList: 471 LB. Little Girl; Punchin Trout; 1957; Sirabhorn; Our Time; Icarus; Salt ‘N Ice.
— Robbie Gerson
