Electric Pulse Meets Saxophone Flight
Fast Future sounds like a saxophone sprinting through synthesizer weather, with Mark Guiliana's drums pushing every bar forward.
Fast Future opens with a pulse rather than a melody. Mark Guiliana's drums lock into a driving electronic groove, and Tim Lefebvre's electric bass sits low and insistent beneath it, while David Binney's synthesizers wash across the top like shifting weather. Donny McCaslin's tenor saxophone enters into this landscape with a bright, muscular tone, phrasing hard and fast, often sounding more like a rock guitarist than a traditional jazz horn. The mood is urgent and forward-leaning, with very little of the slow, reflective space you might expect from a saxophone record.
The album was recorded in 2015 and reflects a moment when McCaslin was pushing his band toward electronic textures and rock-influenced rhythms. Jason Lindner's keyboards add further color, and the overall sound draws on the contemporary jazz-rock crossover that was growing in New York at the time. Tracks move with a sense of momentum, and the arrangements leave room for McCaslin to stretch out over the repeating grooves. It is not a record that asks for quiet attention; it asks you to move with it.
For listeners coming to McCaslin, this is a strong entry point into his more adventurous side. It sits comfortably alongside his other work from the period and shows a clear direction in his writing and bandleading. It is not his most conventional record, and jazz purists may find the electronic elements less to their taste, but as a showcase for an energetic band with a distinct sonic identity, it earns its place in his catalog.
Who's playing
Tim Lefebvreelectric bass guitar
Donny McCaslintenor saxophone
David Binneysynthesizer
Mark Guilianadrums
Jason Lindnerkeyboard
