Jax Jazz Collective - Lotus Blossom: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (2014)

A modern jazz sextet from Jacksonville, FL plays the music of Billy Strayhorn, featuring creative new versions of classic melodies.

LINER NOTES by Rufus Reid, jazz bassist & composer

If you love the music of the maestro Duke Ellington, the name Billy Strayhorn is quite familiar as his musical partner. Billy Strayhorn, as a composer, stands tall amongst the great composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. When one hears the music of Billy Strayhorn played well, high level musical credentials are there for everyone to witness. All of us who are jazz players want to be thought of as mature musicians. Billy Strayhorn’s compositions are well crafted and unique as performed by this mature ensemble - the Jax Jazz Collective.

What is the Jax Jazz Collective anyway? One would think this group is at a definite disadvantage. One, they are recording extremely well documented material and two, they are not based in New York. Expectations are sky high! If they don’t engage the listener quickly, they likely won’t have much of a life expectancy. That being said, the Jax Jazz Collective is an outstanding musical unit that delivers their musical goods at a world-class level! This group hails from Jacksonville, Florida. The performance on this recording engaged me immediately and was full of wonderful surprises with intriguing arrangements. On the classic “A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing”, the music became unexpectedly deep with emotion. I loved the pulsating groove of “Raincheck” and the gritty bluesy mood of “The Intimacy of the Blues.”

The JJC swings throughout their varied program. “Take the ‘A’ Train” gets you moving right away. The group’s musical savvy is refreshing and is certainly not predictable. They possess a dynamic breadth that is full-bodied with sonic, melodic, and harmonic clarity. The soloists are excellent and each player displays prowess and astute harmonic awareness for each
composition. I can hear that this is a unit that enjoys playing together. I also hear clear interaction within the rhythm section and with the soloist. How novel is that? The JJC is not content to just simply state these tunes, but succeeded by giving a satisfyingly great presentation of great compositions. For now, the best compliment I have is the need to listen to this program once again. I will also be waiting impatiently for the next album, and so will you.

I feel very privileged to be asked to write a few comments about The Jax Jazz Collective and their debut recording Lotus Blossom: The Music of Billy Strayhorn. Billy Strayhorn would be smiling and proud to hear how his
music is beautifully caressed, as am I. BRAVO, GENTLEMEN!

Tracklist:

01. Take the 'a' Train
02. Isfahan
03. Raincheck
04. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing
05. Johnny Come Lately
06. Upper Manhattan Medical Group
07. The Intimacy of the Blues
08. Lotus Blossom