Jalen Baker: Be Still
Cellar Music Group

The urge to draw comparisons between an artist's debut and sophomore releases is almost impossible to resist, the case of vibraphonist Jalen Baker no exception. His 2021 effort This Is Me, This Is Us set a particularly high bar, what with its distinctive set-list and strong performances, but Be Still hardly suffers by comparison. In truth, Baker's compositions on the first album have a slight edge over those on the second, and Stevie Wonder's “Love's in Need of Love Today” is a more inspired choice of cover than the new album's “Body and Soul”; the performances on Be Still, on the other hand, are on the whole stronger and do much to compensate for any perceived lack in the writing department. At eight tracks, the new album's also better for being more concise than the debut, whose ten pieces at times can make it feel slightly overlong.

Whereas an expanded ensemble of vibes, piano, bass, and drums augmented by trumpet and strings helps to distinguish the debut, Be Still limits instrumentation to four instruments, Baker, pianist Paul Cornish, bassist Gabriel Godoy, and drummer Gavin Moolchan. That the four have been playing together since 2019 and appear on both albums goes a long way towards explaining why the performances on Be Still are so fabulous. Individually, each musician's great; together, they're terrific. The deep connection the four have forged is evident throughout the release, recorded at GB's Juke Joint in Queens, NYC on October 26th, 2022. The stripped-down personnel also works in the album's favour when an even greater spotlight is cast on Baker, who steps into it with lead playing that's authoritative and dazzling.

Thematically, This Is Me, This Is Us grapples with spirituality and political issues; emerging during periods of pandemic-related lockdowns, Be Still sees a maturing Baker reflecting on family, purpose, and personal values. Having moved back to his native Houston just before the COVID outbreak and after seven years away also fed into this development. Still, while there are moments of contemplation on the new release—Be Still indeed—the playing is often fiery and urgent, qualities consistent with what could pass for Baker's persona mantra, “Looking back, but moving forward.”

That the band's tight is evident the moment “T'was” introduces the set with hard-driving swing, the groove rock-inflected and a little bit funky. Baker's vibes sparkle and gleam as furious runs are unleashed alongside Moolchan's crisp, effervescent attack, and an ebullient turn by Cornish shows he's as vital a soloing presence as the leader. As integral to the outfit is Godoy, who introduces “Be Still,” one of Baker's stronger originals, before the performance explodes into a breathless and at times lyrical quartet expression. Throughout the release, the bassist's a rock-solid ground for the storm otherwise surging (see the volcanic “The Light,” for example).

On the ballad front, “Lexi's Lullaby,” a tune Baker wrote for a young cousin, exudes affection and even perhaps longing for the uncomplicated life a child experiences It's worth noting that the quartet is so dynamic, even a ballad bursts with barely controlled energy. The group's treatment of “Body and Soul,” on the other hand, is less frenzied and if anything contemplative, Baker wise to let its melodies breathe. He nods to two jazz greats in the album's other covers, superb takes on Bobby Hutcherson's “Herzog” and Joe Henderson's “Jinirikisha.” Delivered at an ultra-brisk clip, the former impresses as a blazing homage to a vibraphone trailblazer; the latter cools the pace for an enticingly soulful riff on a cut from Henderson's 1963 debut album Page One.

July 2023