A Leader Finds His Voice in the Ensemble
Soar announces McCaslin as a bandleader with genuine vision, not just a competent soloist.
Soar is McCaslin's arrival as a bandleader with something to say. Before this, he had sideman credibility and technical chops, but here he steps forward with a group so tightly woven and so attuned to his sound that the album feels like a unified statement rather than a collection of good ideas. The band—Scott Colley on bass, Antonio Sánchez on drums, Orrin Evans at the piano, Ben Monder on guitar, Luis Bonilla on trombone, and Pernell Saturnino on percussion—moves as a single organism, responsive to McCaslin's horn but never subordinate to it. This is not a bandleader's vanity project.
Musically, Soar sits in the post-bop pocket that values conversation over hierarchy. The compositions breathe. Sánchez's drumming is restless and melodic rather than timekeeping, Evans voices chords with space and intention, and Monder's guitar textures the landscape without stepping on the horn lines. McCaslin's soprano and tenor both cut through cleanly, but he's not the kind of player who needs to dominate every measure. He knows when to pull back, when to let the band shape the moment. Bonilla's trombone adds weight and warmth, especially on the slower tracks where the ensemble's lyricism becomes the main event.
This is the record that justified his bandleader ambitions. It would take another decade before wider audiences caught up—that would come with his work on Blackstar—but Soar already had what mattered: a distinct sound, a composed vision, and musicians who understood what he was after. For anyone wanting to hear what McCaslin can do when leading rather than supporting, this is the natural place to start.
Who's playing
Scott Colleybass
Orrin Evanspiano
Ben Monderguitar
Luis Bonillatrombone
Antonio Sánchezdrums
Pernell Saturninopercussion
Donny McCaslinwoodwind
Where next?
More by Donny McCaslin
All 30 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
