BEN WOLFE

ANY TIME AFTER NOW

Arts Records

Ben Wolfe, bass/composer; Joel Ross, vibraphone; Sullivan Fortner, piano; Chris Lewis, tenor saxophone; Aaron Kimmel, drums.

This is my kind of straight-ahead jazz, from top to bottom.  Starting with the title tune, “Any Time After Now” this quintet leaps out like a five-alarm fire! The tempo is as swinging as the Big Ben pendulum, steady and powerful.  Aaron Kimmel is featured on drums during a creative and impactful solo.  Ben Wolfe has composed all ten songs on this album. Each one unfolds in a brilliant and enjoyable way.

This music was shaped over a three-night engagement at Dizzy’s Club in New York City, followed by an inspired studio session. Wolfe has been consistently praised for his compositions by DownBeat magazine, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.  I join them in extolling his talents, not only as a composer and exceptional bassist, but also for surrounding himself with energetic and masterful players as part of his quintet.

The ensemble is intergenerational.  Joel Ross was born on Chicago’s South Side in 1995. He began playing drums at his father’s church at age three,  but later switched to the xylophone. His early exposure to Milt Jackson shaped his approach to the vibraphone instrument.

Chris Lewis, tenor saxophone player, has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsallis since 2025. He has a master of Music in Jazz Studies from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.

Innovative and always original, Sullivan Fortner, born December 19, 1986, is an inspirational pianist. He and bassist, bandleader Ben Wolfe, lock rhythm and melody on a tune called “5/4 Groove.”  The introduction is dramatic, beginning with a sort of abstract musical line by Wolfe, repeated by Fortner. Then they join melodically. Fortner is then given time to shine in the spotlight. The band soon drops out, giving Ben Wolfe a platform to feature his power-packed bass solo. The tension and talent sets the stage for Chris Lewis to add his tenor saxophone sparkle to the production.

Aaron Kimmel is a jazz drummer from Hollidaysburg, PA who holds a bachelor of Music degree from Julliard School.  He’s a master of post-bop, as well as more contemporary jazz genres. He brings burning hot energy to this project.  On “Always Four” Wolfe takes us down a swing path, with unexpected breaks that feature Kimmel’s drum surprises. Fortner’s piano solo is intoxicating and free.

Wolfe’s original compositions shine. He plays with counter melodies between the bass and the vibraphone on a tune he named “Down With Gravity.”  It’s creative, giving space to Ben for an outstanding solo.

Ben Wolfe and his band mates offer the listener sweet brilliance on both ballads and swing tunes. This album is refreshing, like a cool lemon tea on a hot summer evening.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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