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Craig Brann: Lineage
ByWhile the draw of his previous discs might have been the high profile playing partners, Mark Turner, Greg Tardy, Rudy Royston and Matt Wilson, Lineage leans heavily on the like-mindedness of his quintet. Bassist Nick Morrison has kept time on all four earlier releases, and trumpeter John Raymond often plays the yin to Brann's yang here. The inclusion of another chordal instrument, Ethan Herr's piano, shows Brann's mature confidence in his music. Drummer Cory Cox injects a thoroughly modern sound to the whole affair.
Opening with "Dilla Days," a reconfiguration of Mark Turner's "Dharma Days," Brann integrates R&B with some spirituous bebop without uttering the word "fusion." The panache shown here, and throughout this disc, carries the day. Brann has the ability to share the stage (through his writing and arrangements) creating a true quintet recording. Pieces like "Basso Continuo," built around Morrison's bass line, and the infectious swinger "Verdict," (a nod to Thelonious Monk's "Evidence") fully welcome the voices of Herr, Cox and Raymond. The same is true for "Reinventing Something Round," a cascading sound that inexhaustibly blossoms with ineffable beauty.
As a guitarist, Brann continually reshapes his sound. "Dozen The Swan's Hound (Lie Kiss Coat Hewn)" flashes a John Scofield-like edge of electric aggression, while "Fur Beccah (Prelude)" pulls from an acoustic classical tradition. When a musician has the capacity to do just about anything, the choices he makes are critical. Here, Brann and his quintet never put a foot wrong.
Track Listing
Dilla Daze; Basso Continuo; Copy; Teely-Teely; Fur Beccah (Prelude); Good Intentions; Verdict; Reinventing Something Round; Dozen The Swan’s Hound (Lie Kiss Coat Hewn); Five Percent Of My Life Thus Far; Empty.
Personnel
Craig Brann
guitarCraig Brann: guitar; John Raymond: trumpet; Ethan Herr: piano; Nick Morrison: bass; Cory Cox: drums.
Album information
Title: Lineage | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: SteepleChase Records