Lovano Reaches Back, Reaches Out
Lovano makes a big orchestral swing feel genuinely personal, which is harder than it sounds.
Joe Lovano has always been a saxophonist with a lot of ideas, and Streams of Expression (2006) is one of his more ambitious attempts to organize them. The album splits into two main pieces: a five-part "Streams of Expression Suite" that is squarely Lovano's own compositional territory, and a three-part "Birth of the Cool Suite" that reaches back to the Miles Davis nonet sessions of 1948 and 1950. The cool suite was conducted by Gunther Schuller, which is a significant credential — Schuller was one of the people who actually understood that music from the inside, having been involved in the original scene. Having him on the podium gives this section a kind of authority that a lesser production choice might have undermined.
The album is densely populated. George Garzone, Ralph Lalama, Gary Smulyan, and Tim Hagans all appear, and the ensemble writing gives everyone room without turning into a traffic jam. The cool suite works because Lovano and Schuller are not trying to reproduce the Davis sessions note for note. They use melodic themes from that nonet work as starting points and let the ensemble breathe around them. It sounds like a conversation with that period rather than a tribute show.
This is a Blue Note record, Lovano's 20th on the label, and it carries a certain weight of expectation. What it delivers is a seriously constructed piece of work — not a casual blowing date, not a crowd-pleaser. Some listeners will find the formal structure a little stiff in places, particularly if they prefer Lovano in a smaller setting. But if you are interested in how mid-century cool jazz ideas might be extended by a working saxophonist who actually grew up absorbing them, this is worth your time.
Who's playing
Dennis Irwinbass
John Hickspiano
James Weidmanpiano
George Garzonetenor saxophone
Ralph Lalamatenor saxophone
Steve Slaglealto saxophone
Gary Smulyanbaritone saxophone
Tim Haganstrumpet
Barry Riestrumpet
Larry Farrelltrombone
Michael Parloffflute
Lewis Nashdrums
Joe Lovanoalto clarinet
Charles Russoclarinet
