TROY ROBERTS

GREEN LIGHTS

Toy Robot Music

Troy Roberts, tenor saxophone; Paul Bollenback, guitar; John Patitucci, acoustic bass; Jimmy MacBride, drums.

When jazz musicians get together musically as peers and friends, the result is usually warm and exciting.  That’s how I would describe this 16^th record release from Troy Roberts, an Australian immigrant who has settled down in NYC.  As a two-time GRAMMY nominated saxophonist, his reputation has placed him among the A-list of tenor players around town. He’s a studio session First-Call saxophonist who can play just about anything. Some of the impressive name artists he has played with range from the late Joey DeFrancesco to the iconic Van Morrison and the awesome Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts.  I recently reviewed Troy on an album with Pat Bianchi as part of his trio. He’s busy!

On this project, Troy has assembled some friends to interpret his original compositions.  They open with “Green Lights,” the title tune. It’s a warm, moderate tempo funk tune pushed steadily ahead by the drum sticks of Jimmy MacBride and sung by the guitar mastery of Paul Bollenback. Five minutes into the tune, John Patitucci steps stage center to take an acoustic bass solo.  Roberts shares the spotlight with his quartet members, but when he does step out front, his tenor saxophone is rich, warm, and sweet as honey.

For Troy Roberts, the color green represents tranquility, nature, positivity, but also decay, rot, greed and envy. The two sides of the coin, so to speak.  He invites listeners to explore these themes when they listen to his music. On track #2, you hear more of his horn and style when he delivers his tune, “The Question.”  The quartet blasts into another atmosphere when MacBride’s swinging drumsticks smash the up-tempo tune “Solar Panels” into my listening room.  Patitucci’s fingers march across his acoustic bass with speed and precision, while Troy Roberts blows energy, melody, and fluid improvisation from the bell of his horn.  On a tune called “Harry Brown” the introduction sounds ethereal and spacey, as though I’m floating through a starry sky.  It also sounds a little ominous, like the beginning of a mystery movie, thanks to the bass work of Patitucci.  Soon, however, it moves into a blues-fueled shuffle that’s arranged quite contemporarily. Robert’s saxophone work paints the color green all over this tune, braiding traditional jazz roots into his contemporary jazz arrangement.  Roberts’ tenor saxophone sounds absolutely beautiful on his composition, “The Scotsman’s ballad.”  The quartet blasts straight-ahead on “Stretch Armstrong” with Bollenback leading the way on guitar. When the arrangement features Roberts, they really hit their stride.  Roberts lets go of all inhibitions, freely letting the tenor saxophone shine. MacBride is given a platform to showcase his drum skills, sending this project out with a percussive bang.

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