Brandon Wright: Boiling Point (2010)

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

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Published: April 24, 2010

The first thing conspicuous about Brandon Wright's recording Boiling Point is his rhythm section, composed of pianist David Kikoski David Kikoski
b.1961
piano , bassist Hans Glawischnig Hans Glawischnig
b.1970
bass and drummer Matt Wilson Matt Wilson
b.1964
drums . A second curiosity is exactly who this precocious young saxophonist is to have such a rhythm section. Wright, the 2009 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer award recipient originally from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, was educated at the Universities of Michigan and Miami, and of late, a member of or appeared in the Maria Schneider Maria Schneider

band/orchestra Jazz Orchestra, The Mingus Big Band Mingus Big Band

band/orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

band/orchestra . He has been leading his own quartet for several years and has finally gotten around to recording as a leader, fronting a quintet of the aforementioned rhythm section augmented by trumpeter Alex Sipiagin Alex Sipiagin
b.1967
trumpet .

Wright composed five of the eight pieces included on Boiling Point, the lone standard being a reflective "Here's That Rainy Day," on which Wright summons the tones of Stan Getz Stan Getz
1927 - 1991
sax, tenor and Ben Webster Ben Webster
1909 - 1973
sax, tenor infused with the muscularity of Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon
1923 - 1990
sax, tenor . But first things first, the opening "Free Man" is a thoroughly modern blues that has Wright breaking out in solo like John Coltrane John Coltrane
1926 - 1967
saxophone on "'Round Midnight" except sounding like Sonny Rollins Sonny Rollins
b.1930
saxophone . Wright's attack is sure and true with no hesitancy in his playing. Both his writing and playing indicate he knows exactly what he wants to do. An empathic, almost telepathic relationship with his crack rhythm section also helps. Sipiagin provides a firebrand brass foil to Wright's assertive approach, being no less assertive and perhaps even more musically loquacious.

Kikoski performs at his angular best on the opener and the disc's title piece. He is the whimsical one of the bunch, charging Wright's straight ahead momentum with left, right and U-turns, all anticipated supernaturally by uber-bassist Glawischnig. Glawischnig and drummer Wilson tighten Wright and Sipiagin's swing on "Castaway" keeping the two jazz pedantics from spinning off into some post bop orbit around the planet Tony Williams Tony Williams
1945 - 1997
drums . Wright already possesses an impressive resume that should only improve. At his current 27 years, he'll be expected to have a long and creative career and it will be much fun to watch this young talent mature into a true master.