{"id":8639,"date":"2017-09-13T15:41:56","date_gmt":"2017-09-13T22:41:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/?p=8639"},"modified":"2017-09-13T15:44:30","modified_gmt":"2017-09-13T22:44:30","slug":"recent-listening-rigby-and-eckemoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/2017\/09\/recent-listening-rigby-and-eckemoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Recent Listening: Rigby And Eckemoff"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jason Rigby<\/strong> Detroit-Cleveland Trio, ONE<\/a> (Fresh Sound New Talent)<\/p>\n

\"\"The simplicity of the Rigby Trio\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cover design matches the uncomplicated instrumentation\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsaxophone, bass and drums. It is a configuration used to great effect by Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman in classic recordings when they were at the height of their powers. Whether the 42-year-old Rigby has reached that stage in his career remains to be heard, but in this 2016 album he affirms his skill as an improviser on tenor and soprano saxes. Indeed, although he wrote five pieces for the album, they are springboards for his explorations and those of bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Gerald Cleaver and do not disclose the sophistication of his arranging in earlier albums like Translucent Space<\/a><\/em> and The Sage<\/a><\/em>. They impart Rigby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s unflagging energy as a soloist and the symbiotic relationships he has developed with Brown and Cleaver. The opening \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dive Bar,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as an example, is a gripping conversation between Rigby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tenor and Cleaver\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s drums. Rigby uses the standards \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You Are Too Beautiful\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Embraceable You\u00e2\u20ac\u009d primarily as bases for unfettered improvisation that includes occasional short, often witty, quotes from the songs. The album title suggests that there may be more of this trio on the way. It will be interesting to hear what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s next.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yelena Eckemoff<\/strong>, In The Shadow of a Cloud<\/em><\/a> (L&H)<\/p>\n

Cleaver joins pianist Yelena Eckemoff in this impressive two-CD album of\"\" original compositions. Now a New Yorker, the Russian-born Eckemoff includes, along with Cleaver on drums, three more of the city\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most prominent jazz artists; saxophonist\/flutist Chris Potter, guitarist Adam Rogers and bassist Drew Gress. As in Blooming Tall Phlox<\/em><\/a><\/em> earlier in 2017 and several other albums on her L&H label, Eckemoff\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s classical training is apparent in her playing and in the impeccable construction of compositions recalling her life and family in Russia. Her continuing collaborations with leading American and European musicians reflect her status in the jazz community. That was as true of the acceptance and enthusiasm of the four young Finns who joined her for Blooming Tall Phlox<\/em><\/em> as it is for the US stars of this new Eckemoff venture. Among the highlights are the evocative title tune with its melding of nostalgia and urgency, the unrepressed excitement of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153On the Motorboat,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Potter\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s floating soprano saxophone in the irresistible \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Waltz of the Yellow Petals,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Fog,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in which Gress\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s bass line buoys a feeling that manages to be at once mysterious and reassuring. Throughout, Eckemoff\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s impeccable keyboard touch, harmonic resourcefulness and intriguing compositions make In the Shadow of a Cloud<\/em> an important addition to the discography of a pianist whose reputation continues to expand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jason Rigby Detroit-Cleveland Trio, ONE (Fresh Sound New Talent) The simplicity of the Rigby Trio\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cover design matches the uncomplicated instrumentation\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsaxophone, bass and drums. It is a configuration used to great effect by Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman in classic recordings when they were at the height of their powers. Whether the 42-year-old Rigby has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8639","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-main","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8639"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8639\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rifftides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}