Search - Brent Jensen, Rob Walker :: Art of the Groove

Hardbop Keeps it's Cool Here

Donald Christensen | USA | 04/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Brent Jensen is most well known for his award-winning recording, "The Sound of a Dry Martini: Remembering Paul Desmond." In this 2004 release, Jensen is paired with flugelhorn player and composer, Rob Walker and Seattle's "New Stories" (Doug Miller-bass, John Bishop-drums).



There is a certain intensity that hardbop calls for, but listeners will engage in a broader spectrum than hardbop in his recording. As you listen to the album, eventually the West Coast stylings of Chet Baker come to mind as much or more than Miles.



The Groove has variations on the theme and both Jensen and Walker harmonize their themes with precision and patience.

I say "patience" because that is precisely what Jensen demonstrates in his solos. His use of negative space is often more conducive to improvisation than many student soloists realize.



The other secret to appreciating Jensen is his voicing. He rarely overstates his phrases, but uses a cool, calm pacific blue sound that invites the listener to hear his story.



Walker has his own characteristics picked up by other reviewers, so I will limit my comments to Jensen, since I am more familiar with his philosophy and recordings.



In the Art Blakey sense of the term, the Groove is still with us, but with the added upside of an occasional Latin groove and always a hint of Monk (Jensen rarely does a session without quoting Thelonious Monk, one way or another).



It is important for the listener to understand that Jensen is an educator, and will represent a style and expand upon it with a disciplined expression, while maintaining the stylistic integrity that defines his solos as his own.



My only regret is that while the engineers captured Jensen with the right blend of ambience and tonality, there are moments where his horn is less "present" than it could be. Perhaps that reflects my bias, I like hearing him.



Overall, this recording is for serious listeners who will receive a well-rounded experience of style and artistic expression in light of the era they are recalling.

"