Neil Swainson Sextet - Here For A While (2024) [Official Digital Download]

The title of this latest release from bassist Neil Swainson is fitting: HERE FOR A WHILE. Amen to that. At 68, he’s had not just a long career, but a most distinguished and impactful one. In Canada and internationally, a world-class musician.

I would point out several things to those who might be wondering why this is only Neil’s third recording as a leader: Jazz, especially in Canada, is a tough room, and as a highly sought after bassist/sideman, Neil has been just a little busy over the last 45 or so years since moving to Toronto from his native Victoria. You know, playing with virtually everybody in Canada as well as touring with international artists such as Woody Shaw, George Shearing and Roberta Gambarini, to name a few.

There’s no substitute for the years of experience which have seasoned Neil’s musicianship, and one can feel the depth of that throughout this record: in his bass playing, which is superb as always, and in his skills as a composer and leader. As with 49th Parallel and Fire in the West, all of the music here is composed and arranged by Neil. This is especially impressive given both the variety and intricacy of the program. This is not simple, throw-away music or a case of playing originals for the sake of playing originals. This is the real thing. It’s music that is thoroughly contemporary, with a strong link to jazz traditions.

Swainson has assembled a crackerjack band to play his music, with ‘band’ being the operative word. The interplay and cohesion they achieve is one of the pleasures of this record. In keeping with Neil’s global scope, the members come from both sides of the border. On trumpet and flugelhorn, Brad Turner, a staple of the Vancouver scene; on tenor and soprano saxophone, Kelly Jefferson, Saskatchewan born, now active in Toronto; Massachusetts-born Steve Davis, a major trombone voice for three decades; pianist Renee Rosnes, a “Camerican” who needs no introduction; and Quincy Davis on drums, who hails from Michigan, and now teaches at North Texas State University. Turner, Jefferson and Rosnes are holdovers from Neil’s previous record, which partially accounts for how tightly-knit this band is, though both Davises fit in effortlessly.

I’ve no wish to spoil the surprises for the prospective listener, so my comments on the tracks will be general and brief, focusing on a few highlights I enjoyed.

1. At the End of the Day – A medium-up waltz with a complex, angular melody and very chromatic harmonies shifting in and out of tonal centres. Solos by piano, trumpet, tenor, and bass. Trumpeter Brad Turner sounds particularly at home in this setting which is not too far removed from Kenny Wheeler territory. Neil’s bass solo is nimble, long-lined and eloquent.

2. Lagrange Point – A medium-up swinger reminiscent of some of the tunes Wayne Shorter wrote for the ‘60s Jazz Messengers, shifting from chord changes to various pedal points. Everyone is featured here, with Neil taking the first solo, a delightful surprise at this tempo. Why does the bass always have to solo last?

3. In the Path of Angels – A medium-slow and gentle bossa nova with elysian harmonies, which put one in mind of Clare Fischer. This gave me a strong mental impression of the peace and changeable light of a deep forest walk. Fine solos by Kelly on tenor, Renee, and Steve Davis, who very effectively adopts swing phrasing against the bossa rhythm. Special mention must be made of Quincy Davis’ firm yet understated drumming on this track; he keeps things moving beautifully.

4. Bend – A fast samba that begins with an intricate rhythm section intro, featuring wide interval leaps in unison between the piano and bass. How Neil manages this sort of speed with such precision and perfect intonation is beyond most of us. There are very lively solos from trumpet, tenor, piano, trombone and drums. The most arresting moment comes at the beginning of the piano solo when Renee takes the last phrase of the tenor solo and runs with it, bending it into her crunchy solo. Brilliant.
5. Madrona – A fast and very pretty waltz played by the rhythm section only. There’s a lot of listening and close interplay here between the bass and piano in the early going, and the trio does a nice job of building the intensity and dynamics throughout. Neil’s bass solo is beautifully structured by his use of motifs and innate sense of melodicism. There’s a peek-a-boo key change at the very end.

6. Jerry’s Blues – Dedicated to the late, great drummer Jerry Fuller, one of Neil’s heroes, and one of mine as well. It’s a loping altered blues with a twelve-bar structure and a melody that echoes “Blues in the Night” in the first few bars. The chords stray far from traditional blues harmony, yet it always feels like a blues, the kind of blues Jerry liked to play. Everyone takes two choruses and Neil really boots things along with some deep-toned, throbby walking. Night, night Jerry.

7. Here for a While – The title track is a wistful ballad in a straight-eights feel with an active bass part. The solos are bass, trumpet, soprano saxophone and piano, each of them warm-toned and articulate.

8. One for Rob – As in Rob McConnell. Fittingly, this is a brisk bebop head, on “rhythm” changes with a modulation in each A section and a slightly altered bridge. The finger-busting melody is first handled by piano and bass in unison, then taken up by the horns, then it’s off to the races with blistering solos by trombone, trumpet, tenor, piano, bass, and eights with the drums. Renee gets off some sly and oblique bebop quotes in her piano solo, and Neil takes this up with an outrageous quote of “I Told Every Little Star” during his. Worthy of Paul Desmond. And Rob McConnell, for that matter.

9. Under Cover of Darkness – A medium swinger that echoes a standard I can’t quite identify, that reminds me of one of the kind of pieces Benny Golson used to write for The Jazztet. There are fluent solos by Kelly, Brad, Steve, Rene, and Neil. Kelly is in particularly serpentine form here on tenor, while Brad and Steve each play some startling rhythmic groupings. Renee plays some very tasty funk, and Neil’s solo ranges all over the bass. Again, I don’t know how he does it, but he’s been doing it a long time.

In closing, if I might be permitted a personal note… Neil Swainson and I have been good friends and fellow bassists for over 45 years, we came up together and our careers took place in parallel lines. Over all that time it’s been an honour and privilege to know him and a pleasure to watch him develop into such a fine musician. I hope listeners enjoy his music as much as I do.

Neil Swainson - bass
Renee Rosnes - piano
Quincy Davis - drums
Steve Davis - trombone
Kelly Jefferson - tenor and soprano saxophone
Brad Turner - trumpet and flugelhorn

Tracklist:
1: Neil Swainson - At The End Of The Day
2: Neil Swainson - Lagrange Point
3: Neil Swainson - In The Path Of Angels
4: Neil Swainson - Bend
5: Neil Swainson - Madrona
6: Neil Swainson - Jerry's Blues
7: Neil Swainson - Here For A While
8: Neil Swainson - One For Rob
9: Neil Swainson - Under Cover Of Darkness


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