RICH HALLEY 4

DUSK AND DAWN

Pine Eagle Records

Rich Halley, tenor saxophone; Michael Vlatkovich, trombone; Clyde Reed, bass; Carson Halley, drums.

Rich Halley has returned to the recording studio with his long-time quartet, featuring trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, bass man Clyde Reed and drummer, Carson Halley.  Rich has released twenty-six recordings as a bandleader, including one called “Eleven.”

On this new “Dusk & Dawn” album, Halley combines his own compositions with some tunes that grew from spontaneous improvisations by his band. They open with “Spherical Aberration,” a Rich Halley original composition.  The song called “The Return” (Track #2) is the one that captures my attention.  It is a song the four of them created as a team, improvising and freely playing, inspired by each other.  The two horns, (Halley and Vlatkovich), share a boisterous conversation with each other. Even without drums, they have a swinging conversation. Once the bass and drums join them, the ‘swing’ within their collaboration continues, but now it’s more pronounced.  There is a slight improvisation of “Bye Bye Blackbird” slipped in by the trombone, but only momentarily.  Rich Halley steps in on his tenor saxophone and quickly lifts the piece into the stratosphere.  Halley has also composed “Retrograde,” a tune called “Sputter” and another titled, “The Hard Truth.”  All the remaining compositions are written by all four bandmates, as they join minds and creativity in an improvised session of inventiveness.

This is experimental jazz, some composed on the spot,  by musicians who trust each other and know each other very well.  The love and creativity is palpable.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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