Anthony Stanco

In the Groove – Live at the Alluvion

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Hard bop lives. Retro becomes modern day. Jazz is alive in northern Michigan. When first listening to trumpeter Anthony Stanco’s In the Groove – Live at the Alluvion, my first reaction was that of hearing Lee Morgan playing with a guitarist. We don’t hear many pure hard bop albums anymore, but Stanco is here to remind us that, at least in his world, that tradition is very much present. The sound is one small step forward from his 2024 Time, described by most as a full-on bebop.

Here, we have a most energetic date, where the live audience in the small club, The Alluvion, in Traverse City, MI, becomes like a sixth member of Stanco’s quintet. They are fully engaged from the outset. Fittingly, aside from the trusted hard-swinging bass-drum tandem of John Webber and Joe Farnsworth, Stanco, guitarist Randy Napoleon, and pianist Xavier Davis are born and bred Michiganders. They both played on Time and are colleagues of the trumpeter on Michigan State’s faculty. Also note that Farnsworth was on the previous album, and although Webber was not, he has often collaborated with the drummer.

Stanco has a monthly residency at the club, which has become a second home to the former Detroiter. The name ‘alluvion’ refers to the action of a body of water as it carves a groove out of its surroundings and forms fertile land in its wake. As such, the album title and song titles reference water. This is the first live album recorded at the club to receive national distribution.

Make no mistake, Stanco was intent on this retro sound. He says, “I love those classic hard bop albums that feature a signature boogaloo groove…and I just don’t think you can create boogaloo as convincingly in the studio as you can live.”  Keep in mind that the quintet is not just playing hard bop classics. These are mostly Stanco originals. He summarizes his view this way, “The hard bop era was all about getting back to the blues and roots of this music. That’s exceedingly important to me and my musical endeavors, as well as to the Detroit tradition. So, we’re playing our homage and playing the tradition of the blues –but doing our own thing with it.”

Opener “T. Sea” is a play on Traverse City’s initials and gets the set off to a rousing start with Stanco raising the roof on his very first solo, propelled by the rhythm section. Napoleon jumps in with his bright tone and sharp articulation, while Davis also reveals his deep grasp of hard bop vocabulary. “Say You’re Mine” is a Duke Pearson tune, recorded on Donald Byrd’s 1962 Blue Note The Cat Walk. The quintet delivers it in a more easy-flowing mid-tempo groove, with a noteworthy turn from bassist Webber. In turn, Stanco penned the buoyant “Riptide” for Farnsworth, who is fond of saying, ‘Let it rip.” That distinctive boogaloo groove drives this one forward.

Taking it down several notches is “Pyramid Point,” named for a favorite hiking spot in the city that offers panoramic views of Lake Michigan. Stanco tries to capture that awe-inspiring feeling in the sustained lines of the soloists. The audience responds to Stanco’s muted trumpet opening to the title track with a big cheer. They continue their involvement in a call-and-response mode through the boogaloo section of the piece, bolstered by Webber’s sturdy bass turn. Stanco urges the audience to sing along on “Sonny Boy,” which he penned for his nine-month-old son. Napoleon plays brilliantly on his own “Hey, Cute One.” The audience is so hyped that Farnsworth drops out during Stanco’s solo, letting the enthusiastic assemblage clap to the beat. “Tales” surges forward with high-octane power. Yet,  the quintet lifts off into stratospheric territory with blistering runs on the closer “Just a Moment,” a contrafact of John Coltrane’s “Moment ‘s Notice,” exceptionally rendered by all, especially Farnsworth’s uncanny rhythm sense.

For many the most accessible and enjoyable jazz is hard bop. This white hot cooking date and the audience response are strong proof of such.

• Jim Hynes

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