James Brandon Lewis is a tenor for the times, and then some. Undoubtedly one of the most important voices in contemporary jazz he’s stunning in both the volume of his releases but, more importantly, the consistently high bar he sets and reaches. Just months after his excellent Amiri Baraka and Don Cherry inspired Apple Cores trio record and with the memory of his superb Impulse! debut with The Messthetics still fresh, he’s back with the fifth release from his brilliant quartet.
If JBL’s rich, story-weaving, emotive tenor sound is the highlight of this group then it’s closely followed by the tightly aligned trio that complete the quartet. Aruán Ortiz plays piano, Brad Jones bass and the incendiary Chad Taylor drums. Alongside Branford Marsalis’ quartet this is one of the great working bands of this century. Described as a “ballad album that isn’t one”, Abstraction is Deliverance delivers a spiritual impact built on hundreds of hours playing on the road and in the studio.
The album includes a dedication to another great tenor player – David S Ware – who died way to young in 2012. James Brandon Lewis continues in the fine tradition that Ware set and his tribute here is a highlight in a sparkling set.
This is our album of the week until Friday 6th June 2025.