Monday, September 14, 2009

Matt Wilson and his Hip Quartet

Drummer Matt Wilson brings it on with his new 7th (I think) album That's Gonna Leave A Mark (Palmetto). He has played with all kinds of folks: John Medeski, Either/Or, Zeitlin, Dewey Redman, and so forth, but he especially shines in drumming and bandleading as a package. With the freebop exuberance of what's following in the footsteps of Ornette, Matt and his band give an excellent recital here of originals and a few classics and they do it with great stylistic grace.

The originals have a certain humor, a collective personality that brings off a bit of a coup through the sound and originality of reedmen Andrew D'Angelo (a personal favorite of mine, now successfully recovered from a serious illness) and Jeff Lederer. They can blow out the stops and they do it their own way. Bassist Chris Lightcap is rock solid and creative, with a very nice tone. Matt drums with drive, dexterity and good taste.

This is one of those recordings that can bring you the joy of improvisation. It does for me. Listen and you'll probably become a Matt Wilson fan.

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