Dave Anderson – Clarity – Pony Boy PB50163-2, 59:28 ****:
(Dave Anderson – soprano and alto saxophone, producer; John Hansen – piano; Chuck Kistler – bass; Adam Kessler – drums; Thomas Marriott – Flugelhorn (track 2))
When people consider Seattle, they might think of the jet plane industry, computer software firms or rain. Saxophonist Dave Anderson – along with a number of similar artists – is adding a new perception to the Emerald City: an area with a maturing jazz community. Anderson’s commitment to the Seattle jazz scene is bona fide: his is not boosterism simply by virtue of birth. Anderson has worked and lived in Toronto, New York City and Salt Lake City performing with Clark Terry, Mel Tormé, Jim McNeely and others, but when he moved to Seattle five years ago Anderson found likeminded musicians along with venues and fans who provided enthusiasm and support. So he settled in.
Anderson’s debut as a leader, Clarity, is a showcase for his soprano and alto sax and the hour-long program exhibits Anderson’s complex yet accessible compositions: he wrote eight of the ten tracks. Clarity is also a confirmation that Seattle’s jazz talent pool is deep – he gets superb backing from pianist John Hansen, bassist Chuck Kistler, drummer Adam Kessler and special guest Thomas Marriott on Flugelhorn.
As a warm-up, Anderson opens with Joe Henderson’s popular samba, “Y Ya La Quiero.” It sets the stage just right. Kistler starts with unaccompanied bass, and then Hansen drives home the rousing melody with quickened Latin jazz phrases as the tune briskly ignites. Anderson’s soprano is no less rapid while maintaining a collected coolness.
One of Anderson’s skills is creating pieces with personality about personalities. He has previously penned a homage for his grandmother and grandfather so it is fitting that Anderson indicates his appreciation and kinship for his father, a former pilot, on the lilting piano/sax duet “The Aviator.” Anderson’s sax is melodic and he crafts swirling lines accomplished with attention and a steady precision. Equally impressive are Hansen’s genteel chords and refined solos. The aptly titled “Osby-an” is an obvious nod to fellow sax man Greg Osby. Anderson’s alto sax is clear, clean and harmonically opulent, while Hansen’s piano lines are equivalently crisp and lucid, where every note is placed perfectly. Kessler, meanwhile, unfolds intricate rhythmic textures, especially during his solo segment. Another intriguing character sketch is sprightly “Juror Number 2,” concerning a kindly older lady Anderson met while on jury duty in New York City, who described her sadness about seeing the Twin Towers collapse. Anderson employs two series of descending chords, one for each of the two falling skyscrapers, but his version of a 9/11 tribute ironically has a spirited emotive approach rather than representing sorrow or anger.
While Anderson can be precise and particular in writing and performing, he is correspondingly an outstanding soloist. He and the band blow the roof off during the suitably named “Free,” a McCoy Tyner-esque blues featuring unrestrained improvisations from Anderson (again on soprano sax), Hansen – who demonstrates why he is an in-demand player – and Kistler, whose resonant tone is on full display. The concluding and amiable “Moving On,” although only a summary at a brief minute and a half, also serves as a means for Anderson to bring forth his melodic style.
TrackList:
1. Y Ya La Quiero
2. Wabi-Sabi
3. Stalemate
4. Troubled Angel
5. The Aviator
6. Osby-an
7. Free
8. Beautiful Love
9. Juror Number 2
10. Moving On
— Doug Simpson
