Following my captivation with Regrets Only I did let most of The Seventh Nerve play on before I rewound itunes to see what I had missed. It’s a nice, relaxed tune but one that I easily overlooked upon the first listening. Hill’s soprano playing is impressive. The soprano can be a weapon in the wrong hands and Jenny Hill handles it very well with great skill.
All songs on The Chill Factor are composed by Jenny Hill with the exception of Passion Dance and Davis’ Nardis. The sound of the sax and vibes is somewhat reminiscent of the sound of the Gary Burton Band when augmented by Jim Odgren around 1980. The ECM sound may have been the goal or just a byproduct of past influence. Whatever the case – I like it!
Monkeys of Kilimanjaro is a playful number where Hill stretches a bit on flute. The pulsating rhythms originating from John DiMartino on piano, Oswaldo Amorim on bass and Isler on drums propel soloists on flute and trombone.
Elephant Boogie Mania – what can I say? It sounds like James Brown meets New Orleans Jazz with a little blues thrown in. This sounds like a fun tune to blow on in the horn friendly key of F! Where’s the tenor solo Jen?? 🙂
Your Last Breath is likely one of the most unique, yet musical numbers offered here by Hill and company. The sound of soprano sax, trombone and vibes is unusual to my ears but works quite well. This combination of soprano, trombone and acoustic bass is handled very well in this setting where pitch could be an issue. Fowlkes and Hill and Jerome Harris are to be commended for their musicality and sense of pitch.
I found this cd to be quite enjoyable. The ensemble works together like a band that has performed together beyond the four walls of the studio. They share a sensitivity that comes across clearly on the recording and invites the listener to be part of the experience. Thanks to Jenny Hill for releasing this beautiful collection of jazz saxophone music.
You can find out more about Jenny Hill at www.JennyHillJazz.com
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