Nathan Eklund Group
Coin Flip
OA2 Records
www.oa2records

Chris Colangelo
Elaine’s Song
C-Note Records
www.chriscolangelo.com
By George W. Harris

Here are a pair of recent releases that embody the current state of the modern post bop small group. Be it quartet or quintet, this is the kind of music that is now the grandchild of Miles Davis’ two classic bands of the 50s and 60s.

Trumpet/flugelhorn player Nathan Eklund leads a team of Craig Yaremko/sax, Steve Myerson/Rhodes, Kellen Harrison/b and Shawn Baltazor/dr through a set of originals that mix melody, mood and moxie. Myerson’s Fender Rhodes gives the band a sort of Herbie Hancock Headhunters feel, with exotic sounds mixing with Yaremko’s soprano on the gentle “One Year Ago Today” and the exotic mix with bass and drums on the exotic “Front Lawn.” Eklund himself has a vibrant sound, and he sparkles on the spooky “Happy’s Sadness” and the rapid fire “Triple Shot Expresso.” The band works well on the playful “Chim’s Paradise” and “Professor Dissendadt’ with Eklund leading the way with some excellent harmonic work with his front line partner. Nothing shockingly new, but a definite fresh coat of paint on an old master.

Bassist Chris Colangelo is an LA cat who you can find playing at some local club like Charlie Os or Vibratto with guys like the ones on this cooking little disc. Along with stablemates John Beasley/p and Steve Hass/dr in the rhythm section, a rotating team of sax players (Bob Sheppard, Benn Clatworthy, Zane Musa) mix and match for a disc of nine originals. Sheppard’s tenor gets the pace just right on the driving “The Ubiquitous One” and the title track (which also includes some nice work by the always reliable Beasley), while his soprano on “Straight Street” is downtown mainstream at its best. The boppish and bluesy “Watts Important” has Clatworthy’s thick tenor, while he floats like a butterfly for an impressionistic “Green and Blue.” Musa’s alto pops and scatters like a firecracker on the kinetic “Like Kenny” while the leader shows his wares on “Falling Grace.” If you don’t like this stuff, I suggest you leave LA and find some place more sympathetic to your tastes like Provo, Utah.