| Jazz |
Dave Wilson Quartet: A Voice That Shines Brightest When It Stands Alone.
This album reveals Dave Wilson at his most compelling, and, paradoxically, at his most restrained. The new release from the Dave Wilson Quartet unfolds in half-tones rather than bold primary colors, offering moments of striking originality alongside stretches that feel less fully realized. From the outset, it becomes clear that the issue is not performance quality, far from it—but artistic coherence.
The album opens with one of Dave Wilson’s own compositions, and from the very first bars, the listener is immediately won over by the clarity, intelligence, and personality of his writing. Wilson’s compositional voice is confident and distinctive, marked by a strong melodic sense and an understated sophistication that rewards close listening. Yet as the record progresses, that initial enthusiasm proves difficult to sustain. The inclusion of works by other songwriters ultimately weakens the album’s overall unity, despite the fact that each track carries Wilson’s unmistakable signature as an arranger and saxophonist.
This is a familiar dilemma when a musician possesses a strong and clearly defined compositional identity. When original works are placed alongside pieces by other authors, even when thoughtfully arranged, the contrast can be unforgiving. That contrast is particularly evident here. While one can fully understand Wilson’s admiration for songwriters such as Jimmy Webb or Jackson Browne, the juxtaposition creates an uneven listening experience. The album rises and falls, moving between moments of genuine inspiration and passages that feel comparatively muted. Wilson’s own writing is so rich, personal, and inventive that the borrowed material, by comparison, often sounds pale, competent, even elegant, but lacking the urgency and depth that characterize his originals. One cannot help but imagine how much more cohesive and powerful this album might have been had it consisted exclusively of Dave Wilson compositions.
Born and raised in Bronxville, New York, Dave Wilson began his formal musical education as early as fourth grade. Over time, he has developed into a formidable saxophonist, distinguished by both technical command and a remarkable maturity of tone. His playing conveys passion without excess, intelligence without detachment. There is an ease and authority to his jazz language that speaks to years of rigorous study and deep listening. Wilson studied with an impressive roster of mentors, including saxophonists Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Bill Barron, Ralph Lalama, Tim Price, Glenn Guidone, and Tom Strohman, as well as guitarist Steve Giordano and pianist Kirk Reese. His primary focus is on tenor and soprano saxophone, though he also plays alto and is proficient on clarinet, his first instrument in elementary school, as well as flute. These influences and experiences go a long way toward explaining the compositional sophistication that emerges so clearly in his strongest work.
Listening to this album carefully reveals a telling pattern. My own approach was straightforward but illuminating: first, a complete, uninterrupted listen, followed by a return to the three tracks composed by Wilson himself, heard in isolation and with close attention. It is at that point that the album’s patchwork quality becomes unmistakable. Heard as a whole, the record lacks a single, unified narrative arc. Heard selectively, Wilson’s compositions stand out as the true backbone of the project, the moments where the music feels fully alive and self-assured. There is no doubt that Dave Wilson, both as a saxophonist and as a composer, is an exceptionally gifted musician.
The promise of the album is further reinforced by the quality of the quartet itself. The accompanying musicians are not mere sidemen but engaged partners, responsive and nuanced, capable of supporting Wilson’s ideas with sensitivity and imagination. Their collective interplay suggests a group with the potential to develop a strong and distinctive identity of its own, another reason why an album devoted entirely to Wilson’s original material feels not only desirable but inevitable.
For listeners unfamiliar with Dave Wilson, this album may serve as a worthwhile entry point into his musical universe and the passions that shape it. It offers a broad overview of his influences and his aesthetic sensibilities. For those who already know his work, however, the true reward lies in four standout tracks that rise decisively above the rest: Let’s Go, When Even Goes East, Slow Freeze, and Intergalactic Sunset. These pieces confirm what this album ultimately suggests rather than fully delivers, that Dave Wilson’s most powerful and memorable statements emerge when he speaks entirely in his own voice. In that voice lies the promise of a future recording that could fully realize the remarkable potential only glimpsed here.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, January 20th 2026
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To buy this album (January 30, 2026)
Musicians:
Dave Wilson, tenor and soprano saxophones
Jesse Green, piano
Evan Gregor, bass
Daniel Gonzalez, drums
Track Listing:
Let’s Go
These Days
Eyes Of The World
Adios
When Even Goes East
Slow Freeze
Intragalatic Sunset
The Fool On The Hill
Fire
Wichita Lineman