Brandon Wright - Boiling Point

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:18
Size: 134,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:40)  1. Free Man
(5:37)  2. Drift
(7:59)  3. Odd Man Out
(5:58)  4. Boiling Point
(8:00)  5. Here's That Rainy Day
(9:15)  6. Castaway
(5:12)  7. Interstate Love Song
(6:31)  8. You're My Everything

The word tenor, in Latin, refers to "a continuous holding to a course," and tenor saxophonist Brandon Wright does just that on Boiling Point. Whether Wright is engaging in a musical boxing match with trumpeter Alex Sipiagin or crooning over pianist David Kikoski on an established ballad, he always seems to maintain a consistent musical presence that transcends tempo, feel and style. Perhaps it's his tone, which is big but not too brash and attractive, yet far from smooth, that ties it altogether. Regardless of what it is, Wright makes it work across these eight tracks.  Of course, some of the credit must also go to the rest of the band. Bassist Hans Glawischnig is the rock at the center of it all, making sure that everything lines up and is held together in just the right way. Drummer Matt Wilson, one of the most creative and enjoyable forces on the jazz scene today, has the rare ability to be fully interactive, while also maintaining his role as a key rhythmic element that locks in the time for the rest of the band. Kikoski occasionally shows a fondness for McCoy Tyner's piano playing in his own sound, but he isn't nearly as percussive as Tyner often was on his classic recordings. He also happens to have tremendous range as an artist and an incredible touch on the piano. Sipiagin is the perfect frontline partner for Wright and he finds a good balance between bold and controlled. He creates some musical fireworks on Wright originals like "Odd Man Out" and "Castaway" but he can also turn it down a few notches for gentler material. While the aforementioned "Castaway" and the title track demonstrate Wright's ability to write and play in a more aggressive manner, he works equally well in a more relaxed setting. His "Drift" sounds like it could have been an outtake from Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage (Blue Note, 1965) and his performance on "Here's That Rainy Day" is soothing and refined. His tone takes on a velvet-like quality here as he gently glides over Kikoski's piano. While his playing often heats up the material on this album, it's Brandon Wright's ability to go from cool to hot and everything in between that proves to be his greatest strength on Boiling Point. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/boiling-point-brandon-wright-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel:  Brandon Wright: tenor saxophone;  Alex Sipiagin: trumpet;  David Kikoski: piano;  Hans Glawischnig: bass;  Matt Wilson: drums.

Boiling Point

---

Brandon Wright - Journeyman

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:09
Size: 140,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Shapeshifter
(6:32)  2. Better Man
(5:59)  3. Walk Of Shame
(3:43)  4. Illusions Of Light
(5:57)  5. Big Bully
(6:08)  6. Choices
(6:29)  7. Search For Truth
(8:19)  8. Wonderwall
(8:03)  9. The Nearness Of You
(5:05) 10. He'll Make Me Happy

Beware of album titles that seem to damn with faint praise. Although saxophonist Brandon Wright takes inspiration for the title of his second album from the words of novelist Cormac McCarthy, Journeyman is a term that usually conjures up an image of a reliable, hard-working, solid but uninspiring type of person. All admirable qualities, of course, but hardly earth shattering or applicable to the playing talent of the New York based musician. It's clear from Wright's opening phrase on "Shapeshifter" that he's much, much, more than a reliable worker. Wright's playing is strong, fluid and melodic from the start. His long, flowing tenor lines are a pleasure to hear. His debut, Boiling Point (Posi-Tone, 2010), featured trumpeter Alex Sipiagin alongside Wright. On Journeyman, Wright is out front on his own, but he shoulders the extra sonic responsibility with verve and confidence. "Shapeshifter" establishes not only Wright's chops, but also the strength of the rhythm section. Donald Edwards' driving percussion gives the entire quartet an energy and dynamism. Boris Kozlov's bass stays low in the mix but matches Edwards' swing and power. Pianist David Kikoski who also appears on Boiling Point combines stabbing, rich, left-hand chords with intricate single note runs. Wright's original compositions are engaging. His description of "Walk Of Shame" as a "funky blues" sums it up neatly: straightforward, immediate and fun. "Illusions Of Light" shows that he can also write a soulful ballad and deliver an equally soulful saxophone part while the more aggressive hard bop of "Big Bully" finds Wright and Kikoski producing excellent up-tempo solos underpinned by Koslov and Edwards' rock solid, driving rhythm. Boiling Point featured Wright's take on the Stone Temple Pilots' rock classic "Interstate Love Song." On Journeyman, he follows with interpretations of two other rock tunes. Oasis' Brit Pop standard, "Wonderwall," gets a swinging, straight-ahead treatment though the original song leant so much on the vocal that an instrumental version lacks a clear focus despite Wright's tense, upper-register solo. Pearl Jam's "Better Man," written by Eddie Vedder, proves to be a more inspired choice. Wright takes the original's slightly bitter tone and replaces it with a more regretful mood, established by Kikoski's piano as well as his own tenor saxophone. A lack of familiarity with McCarthy's romanticized image might just make some fans wonder whether this album is worth exploring. That would be a mistake. Wright is an imaginative and hard-blowing saxophonist and a creative composer. This Journeyman inspires, and more. ~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/journeyman-brandon-wright-posi-tone-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php

Personnel:  Brandon Wright: tenor saxophone;  David Kikoski: piano;  Boris Kozlov: bass;  Donald Edwards: drums.

Journeyman

---