STEVE WILSON
Passages
Stretch
SCD 9025-2

Though he was with Out of the Blue: Blue Note’s somewhat contrived grouping of mid-'80s young lions, Steve Wilson first came to my attention as a member of drummer (and OTB bandmate) Ralph Peterson’s various groups. Wilson has recorded a clutch of fine discs with the fiery percussionist, and with drummers Bill Stewart (the wonderful Telepathy from a few years back), Louie Bellson, and Billy Drummond. Now a member of Chick Corea’s Origin, Wilson previously recorded several dates as a leader for Criss Cross in the early-to-mid '90s. Pianist Bruce Barth is on a few of Wilson’s previous recordings, and he contributes piano and a composition to Passages, Steve Wilson’s latest recording for Chick Corea’s Stretch label. Except for Keith Jarrett’s "Days and Nights Waiting" and Barth’s "The Lexter," Wilson composed all of the tunes on this CD. This is a refreshing change, as most recordings by less-known jazz artists tend to be overloaded with standards. Though known primarily as an alto saxophonist, Wilson plays mostly soprano saxophone and flute on this session. As a consequence, perhaps, most of the music on Passages struck me as being a bit lightweight: far better than merely competent, but not necessarily exciting and vital. A couple of the tunes ("Song For Anna," "Days and Nights Waiting") pair the soprano sax and Fender Rhodes in a way that wouldn’t sound out of place on either of Chick Corea’s early Return to Forever records (the band with Joe Farrell, Airto, Flora and Stanley Clarke). By contrast, the CD-opening "Turnin' the Corner" (with guest soloist Nicholas Payton), and Barth’s "The Lexter" are uptempo hard-boppish pieces in a modern acoustic jazz vein. Though Barth sounds nothing like Joe Zawinul, the combination of steel pans and soprano sax on "Eye of the Beholder" had me thinking of Weather Report. There are also a couple pretty ballads ("Grace" and "Passages"), and several short, inconsequential percussion interludes. I don’t mean to sound dismissive, but there is one track, "Q-B-Rab," that posesses such abundant musical power that it almost puts the rest of Passages to shame. The piece starts out with an all-too-brief dialogue between Payton and bassist Ed Howard, and Adam Cruz’ snare fades in as he’s playing an impossibly syncopated second-line feel in 7/4. Wilson (on alto) pairs with Payton to state the theme which is artfully broken and suspended between brief improvisations by Barth. The theme is revisited without the piano interludes, and Payton and Wilson trade fours (or are they only 2 bars long?) over Cruz’ churning rhythm. The rhythm changes to a straight 4/4 funk under Barth’s piano solo, and then Cruz himself turns in an excellent solo before the theme reappears. If only this level of excitement and invention could have been sustained for the entire CD! Even so, many listeners out there will find a great deal of pleasure in this latest effort by Steve Wilson. He is definitely a player and composer who is worthy of attention.

Dave Wayne

Track Listing: 1. Turnin’ the Corner; 2. Song for Anna; 3. Eye of the Beholder; 4. Grace; 5. Roots and Herbs; 6. Q-B Rab; 7. Passages; 8. Wilsonian’s Grain; 9. Days and Nights Waiting; 10. The Lexter; 11. Wilsonian’s Grain (Reprise)

Personnel: Steve Wilson, alto saxophone (tracks 1, 4, 6), soprano saxophone (tracks 3, 7-11), flute (tracks 2, 4, 5), percussion; Bruce Barth, acoustic piano (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10), Fender Rhodes (tracks 2, 9); Ed Howard, acoustic bass (all tracks except 7, 8, 11); Adam Cruz, drums, percussion (all tracks), steel pan (tracks 3, 5); Nicholas Payton, trumpet (tracks 1, 6), flügelhorn (track 4)