American saxophonist/composer Jason Rigby has this spontaneous capacity to adapt his way of playing to different styles and moods. He is a shape-shifter whose musical approach is synonym of consistency regardless if he’s playing in small groups such as the quartets of Mike Baggetta and Mark Guiliana, or large ensembles like the Alan Ferber Big Band.
His work as a leader has been released on Fresh Sound label and consists of Translucent Space (2006), Sage (2008), and this year’s One, where we can find Rigby spearheading a trio of habitual partners: veteran bassist Cameron Brown and in-demand drummer Gerald Cleaver. The strong rapport built over the years is transferred to the recording, allowing us to indulge in tight trio maneuvers, solo stretches, …show more content…
Playful and incisive in his phrasing, Rigby, who composed the tune, found the required ebullience in Cleaver’s inventive drumming and methodical Afro rhythms.
Inspired by the literary work of Oscar Wilde, “Dorian Gray” is another original that kicks in with an odd-metered bass groove linked to a steady pulse. The solid ground consolidates Rigby’s adventurous verbalizations and figures of speech.
His brittle tenor transfigures in speech and makes a distinct impact on Rogers & Hart’s “You Are Too Beautiful”, a sparkling ballad configured with well-resolved bop phrases and delivered with unexpected inner energy. He also digs “Embraceable You”, another jazz standard. However, this time he does it alone, employing lots of zig-zags and making the tune almost unrecognizable in its insouciance.
Interesting renditions of George Schuller’s “Newtoon”, which takes an experimental path due to the trio’s unrestricted approach, and Herbie Hancock’s “Speak Like a Child”, shaped by the agile cascades of notes poured out of Rigby’s soprano sax, are also part of the