Seamus Blake Quintet: Live At Smalls
(Smalls Live SL0008)

Dave Juarez: Round Red Light
(Positone PR8079)

It’s tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake and the same instrumental line-up that links these two discs, both fine examples of the kind of jazz being made in the downtown clubs of New York, and featuring some young and some not so young players, mostly NY residents.

The Blake disc features the more experienced crew, including Dave Kikoski on piano and Bill Stewart on drums, with Lage Lund on guitar and Matt Clohesy on bass. With the exception of the standard Stranger In Paradise, all the tunes are Blake originals, and the mood, down in that terrific little Greenwich basement with Louis Armstrong looking on imperiously from behind the bandstand, is luxuriously relaxed. Just perfect for some deep-digging and extensive soloing.

Which is what Seamus Blake does so well. He is a player of the long line and the slow build, capable of great, sustained tension building and ecstatic release. Kikoski is no slouch as a supporting player and turns in a terrific, swinging solo on Stranger In Paradise. Stewart is a constant treat with his characteristic sly grooves and sudden changes of accent. Lund is a pleasant if less compelling soloist.

Overall, a fine set, with the slight rough-round-the-edges feel of a genuine Village night and musicians at ease, just having a ball. The next best thing to being there.

Dave Juarez is a Barcelona-based guitarist, and along with Blake he has British pianist John Escreet, Lauren Falls on bass and Bastian Weinhold on drums. It was recorded in Brooklyn. produced by Marc Free, and all the songs are by Juarez.

And very easy to like they are, these tunes. Montpellier View has a jaunty main melody, which lifts even further before sliding into a more rhythmic pattern to set up the solos, first from Blake, then from the leader with a nice, ever-so-slight edge of distortion to his sound. I thought they could have held that repeat rhythmic bit a little longer for the drums to solo over, which is probably what happens without the fade-pout at 4 minutes 44 seconds.

The title track has a tasty solo guitar intro, and is a richly romantic ballad, with Juarez and Blake sharing the melody in harmony. Again Blake is the dominant soloist.

The Spanish heritage of the leader becomes more apparent as the disc continues, showing in strong melodies and buoyant rhythms with a kick and swirl to them. Escreet does some fine work on Lonely Brooklyn. Belleza Anonima has a lovely, pulsing romanticism to it, and could easily fit into a Pedro Almodovar soundtrack.

There is a lot of arranged and through-composed music here which makes for a coherence and a distinct feel of the leader’s musical character. A really fruitful listen.