Jane Ira Bloom - The Nearness (1995)

If forced to choose between this eminently thoughtful soprano saxophonist's writing and improvising, I'd have to say it's her original tunes that might keep me coming back. Not that there's anything wrong with her playing. Quite the contrary. She gets a full, gently-inflected, well-centered sound on her finicky horn -- the kind that only a full-time soprano player can produce with consistency. In the past I've found her improvising somewhat mannered; here, however, she's as spontaneous as one could ask. Her ballad playing is especially effective. But I think it's the sophistication of her contexts that fixes her among the modern mainstream's elite. "Flat6 Bop" is typically intriguing; a harmonically ambiguous, medium-tempo ostinato tune with an intervallically irregular melody, it's the product of a methodical and highly creative intellect. Bloom's arrangements of familiar material -- she does heavily re-arranged versions of standards like "Summertime" and "'Round Midnight" -- are just as meticulously conceived, but somehow seem a bit precious to my ears. They are very skillfully done, however. Bloom's collaborators are almost perfectly chosen. Trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, trombonist Julian Priester, bassist Rufus Reid, drummer Bobby Previte, and (particularly) pianist Fred Hersch are well-attuned to the saxophonist's subtle musical gestures. ~ by Chris Kelsey, AMG.

Arabesque Records, AJ0120, 1996

Recorded 12^th,13^th,14^th July, 1995 At Power Station, Studio B, New York

Musicians:

Jane Ira Bloom - Soprano Saxophone

Kenny Wheeler - Trumpet, Flugelhorn (#1-3,5-10,12,13)

Julian Priester - Trombone, Bass Trombone (#1-3,5-10,12)

Fred Hersch - Piano (#1,2,4,5,7,8,11,12)

Rufus Reid - Bass (#1-12)

Bobby Previte - Drums (#1-7,9-12)

Tracks:

01. Nearly Summertime {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward} (5:25)

02. Midnight Round {Jane Ira Bloom} /
'Round Midnight {Bernie Hanighen, Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams} (5:39)

03. B6 Bop {Jane Ira Bloom} (6:17)

04. Midnight's Measure {Jane Ira Bloom} /
In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning {Bob Hilliard, David Mann} (6:19)

05. Painting Over Paris {Jane Ira Bloom} (5:58)

06. Wing Dining {Jane Ira Bloom} (6:48)

07. Panosonic {Jane Ira Bloom} (6:36)

08. White Tower {Jane Ira Bloom} (4:10)

09. It's A Corrugated World {Jane Ira Bloom} (5:42)

10. Monk's Tale {Jane Ira Bloom} /
The Nearness Of You {Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington} (3:33)

11. Lonely House {Langston Hughes, Kurt Weill} (6:50)

12. The All-Diesel Kitchen Of Tomorrow {Jane Ira Bloom} (4:07)

13. Yonder {Jane Ira Bloom} (0:51)

Total Time: 67:55

Credits:

Producer - Jane Ira Bloom

Executive Producer - Marvin M. Reiss

Engineer - James Farber

Assistant Engineer - Robert Smith

Mastering, Mixing Engineer - Jim Anderson

Mastering - Allan Tucker

Art Direction, Design - Franko Caligiuri

Production Director - Daniel Chriss

A&R, Artwork, Repertoire - Joel Chriss

Post Production Director - Jodi Howard

Photography - Kristine Larsen

"By any measure, she has created one of the most melodically radiant jazz releases in recent memory." ~ Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune, 3rd March, 1996.

"Fearless musical explorers who share a commitment to beauty and adventure." ~ Bob Blumenthal, Atlantic Monthly, February, 1996.

"A delightfully atmospheric but probing disc... Bloom’s soaring lines trace a touching mix of openness and craft." ~ Gene Santoro, NY Daily News, 22nd April, 1996.