Ben Wolfe – The Understated (ENG review)

Street date – August 9th, 2024
Jazz
Ben Wolfe - The Understated

This is not the first time I have spoken to you about the excellent double bassist and composer Ben Wolfe. Each album is always a pleasant surprise, and here we find him in the following configuration: Ben Wolfe, bass – Orrin Evans, piano – Nicole Glover, tenor saxophone – Aaron Kimmel, drums – Russell Malone, guitar – Sullivan Fortner, piano. It is a form of complex and harmonious jazz that might be difficult to access for some, as one must admit that a good overall knowledge of jazz is necessary to appreciate this album. Wolfe has always been drawn to finding beauty in subtlety. He perceives a certain tranquility and elegance in Coltrane’s Quartet, Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives and Sevens, the legendary Miles Davis groups and their rhythm sections, as well as the music of Charlie Parker. Although he certainly enjoys the immense energy of this musical world, it is the other side—the elusive and magical aspect—that continuously captivates him—the unspoken. The composer mainly draws his inspiration from the ensemble work of these iconic jazz formations. While the individual parts are extraordinarily beautiful in themselves, the musicians of these archetypal ensembles only play what is necessary to serve the music, paying particular attention to the sound of the group rather than their individual sound. “The Understated” embodies this ethic with an ensemble-oriented approach that is extremely impactful.

Composition, like theatrical writing, must know how to draw from within oneself, sometimes in a somewhat radical way, to express things that resemble us or in which we believe, whether it be social, philosophical, political, or other, it doesn’t matter; what drives us is who we are. Wolfe sought to continue the thread started by “Lullaby in D” from his previous critically acclaimed album “Unjust.” Wolfe says: “Something about that take was so perfect for me. It had come to life and had that ensemble thing.” Wolfe reunited the quartet that recorded “Lullaby” (including his longtime collaborator Orrin Evans, as well as frequent recent collaborators Aaron Kimmel and Nicole Glover) and two very special guests, Russell Malone and Sullivan Fortner. The recording process took place in a single room without headphones or isolation booths, further emphasizing the collective awareness of the group. But this time, the double bass becomes an actor, it tells a story, it is the invisible link that ties the tracks together, sometimes questioning, sometimes expressive.

Obviously, Ben Wolfe had left open doors on his previous albums. “The Poet Speaks” is the opening track of his first album, 13 Sketches. “Occam’s Razor” was composed years ago for a collaboration with a choreographer and a painter and was a very different composition in its original form. “Love Is Near” was originally found on The Whisperer. With ballads in particular, Ben uses voices and sounds that represent certain things for him, intentionally referencing his other compositions to generate connections between his songs.

Weaving his web like a musical work of art, not so unclassifiable if you have classical music references, but all these musical styles are of course at the heart of what made this artist. The saxophone lines are written in resonance with the author’s inner universe, so classifying this album as “Indispensable” is more than necessary, since with this album we enrich ourselves intellectually.

Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News

PARIS-MOVE, July 24th 2024

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