David Weiss & Point of Departure – Snuck In – Sunnyside SSC 1256, 61:20 ****:
(David Weiss – trumpet, producer; J. D. Allen – tenor saxophone; Nir Felder – guitar; Matt Clohesy – bass; Jamire Williams – drums)
Trumpeter David Weiss pays homage to his sixties inspirations on his newest outing, Snuck In, recorded at New York City venue The Jazz Standard with his current combo Point of Departure. On this mainly live club set (there is one studio track) Weiss and his quintet perform music associated with pre-fusion 1960s jazz, with compositions by Andrew Hill (the ensemble is presumably named after Hill’s 1964 album Point of Departure), Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams and little-known Detroit trumpeter Charles Moore. The result is an hour-long, swinging party with heady harmonies, striking melodies and a hint of the avant-garde.
Weiss is a well-established post-bop composer, band leader and producer who has worked with Charles Tolliver’s Big Band, the New Jazz Composers Octet and has been active on the Big Apple jazz scene for approximately two decades. For this project, Weiss tried out various configurations until he achieved precisely what he needed for his latest concept and the players he found work very well as a unit. Alongside Weiss are tenor saxophonist J. D. Allen, guitarist Nir Felder, bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Jamire Williams. Together the five artists craft some grooving, high energy music.
The group hit their stride immediately with Hancock’s “I Have a Dream,” taken from Hancock’s 1969 Blue Note release The Prisoner. The 13-minute, stripped-down rendition features brawny saxophone and trumpet workouts, Felder’s understated but explorative guitar – he showcases an unusual tonality that echoes Hancock’s electric piano – and dexterous drums and bass. Jamire Williams’ rhythms are the underlying ignition as he pushes, prods and bends the time signature and tempo in a way similar to Tony Williams.
The Tony Williams’ connection is exhibited even stronger on a version of Williams’ “Black Comedy,” from Miles Davis’ 1968 enterprise Miles in the Sky. Weiss’ arrangement unveils fresh insights to the rhythmically complex piece. Williams maintains an urgent and imaginative beat but the topmost stimulation erupts from Allen’s muscular saxophone and Weiss’ authoritative trumpet that both emulate Davis’ forceful tone; and Felder’s exacting, clean guitar that again has a keyboard-like quality.
The most expansive, expressive offering is the nearly 20-minute reading of Charles Moore’s “Number 4.” The fivesome twists the fast-swinging, soulful cut into an unforgettable excursion replete with shifting time signatures, notably robust trumpet/sax harmonies and lots of solo statements. Allen fires up a blazing sax improvisation. Weiss calms the proceedings with a cool, extended trumpet section that progressively heats up, which is underpinned by Felder’s vaporous guitar chords. Felder then takes the spotlight as he quotes from jazz and rock influences. Williams’ intricate drum solo finishes the obvious crowd pleaser.
Closing out the album are two final highlights: Andrew Hill’s “Erato,” a meditative studio number mixed into the live set via engineering mastery, and Moore’s “Snuck In.” Clohesy has a sublime solo bass contribution on “Erato,” while the title track is another excellent presentation that displays expert interchanges between Weiss and Allen as well as Williams’ tightly-woven drumming skills.
TrackList:
1. I Have a Dream
2. Black Comedy
3. Number 4
4. Erato
5. Snuck In
— Doug Simpson
