Sam Blakeslee & Wistful Thinking: The Long Middle
Outside in Music

If there's a melancholy undercurrent to the debut album by Sam Blakeslee and his Wistful Thinking ensemble, there's good reason for it. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, the trombonist moved to New York City in 2017 and quickly made a name for himself as a first-call player and performed with a number of noteworthy jazz figures and outfits. Yet while rewards were many, the feeling that something was missing crept in, and it quickly became obvious that he longed for the stability and sense of community of his hometown, which prompted regular visits to Ohio to perform with friends and musicians. Still, as satisfying as those returns were, he also missed the vitality and diversity of New York, leaving him somewhere in the middle and with an album title in the offing.

As for the band's formation, Blakeslee found himself during a 2019 Ohio visit mulling over the idea of a percussion-free ensemble with fellow Ohioans, guitarist Brandon Coleman and acoustic bassist Matt Wiles, a discussion that, with alto saxophonist Chris Coles added to the mix, evolved into Wistful Thinking. All things considered, it shouldn't surprise that hints of loneliness surface in the group's intimate chamber-jazz music, which is largely pastoral and acoustic, though Coles does also use effects pedals. The tone of the group's material dovetails naturally with the mood of sadness brought on by the pandemic, with its imposition of isolation and distance, and thus makes the material resonate all the more strongly.

In the absence of a drummer, Wiles assumes a greater role in grounding the performances, but the other three also shoulder that responsibility. Wistful Thinking doesn't, in other words, split into rhythm players and soloists. Instead, all four are integrally involved at sustaining flow whilst also weaving into the playing moments of individual expression. While the performances are democratically shared, the eight compositions are all Blakeslee's, with one exception, a moody treatment of the traditional Appalachian folk song “Shady Grove.”

The wistful opening title track establishes the band's identity clearly in the way the four weave patterns into a graceful whole and achieve with seeming effortlessness a remarkable balance. As one member steps forth to solo, the others support the move with considered gestures all attuned to the essence of the particular compositional form. Coleman plays electric but doesn't overpower the others, the guitarist favouring instead textural nuance over flash. Blakeslee and Coles likewise smoothly blend into the whole, with the trombone and alto saxophone mellifluous aspects of the quartet sound.

The leader's affection for the outdoors comes through in the serene character of “Ashokan,” the title a reference to the Ashokan Reservoir in the Catskill Mountains. Whereas “Bygones Are Bygones” and “Nomad's Lament” are hushed and contemplative, “Franklin's Blues” has spring in its step as the four dig into an animated romp, Wiles' playing pivotal in establishing the driving pulse for the tune, and “Bob” likewise appeals for its classic blues-bop feel.

August 2021