Carn Davidson 9: Reverence
Carn Davidson 9

Alto saxophonist Tara Davidson and trombonist William Carn regularly elevate their colleagues' recordings with their artistry, but they make their fullest and most complete statements on their Carn Davidson 9 (CD9) albums, Reverence, their fourth, a prime example. Operating since 2010, the group is very much a Toronto-based project: the co-leaders call the city home, flesh out the ensemble by drawing from the area's rich pool of jazz talent, and record their material in Toronto too, in this case at Revolution Recording Studio over two days in May 2024. Still, as the two suites presented on the new release show, their respective visions extend far beyond the city they call home.

Davidson's Saxophonists Suite pays tribute to four figures who've strongly influenced and inspired her, Dick Oatts, Joshua Redman, Christine Jensen, and Kenny Garrett. She naturally fashioned each movement with the particular saxophonist in mind, which makes for a fascinating listening exercise. Whereas her composition has geographical ties to the United States and Canada, Carn's Pan-American Suite uses his family background and love of Brazilian music as springboards. Carn, who's part Costa Rican, named one movement after his father and conceived the others after Brazilian composers Sérgio Mendes, Hermeto Pascoal, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. The bounty of instrumental colours the ensemble members provide is thus extended by the expansive material the co-leaders created for them to perform.

In addition to Davidson and Carn, the other CD9 names will be familiar to followers of Toronto's robust jazz scene. While Kelly Jefferson (tenor sax, clarinet), Shirantha Beddage (baritone sax, bass clarinet), and Davidson (alto sax, flute) round out the woodwind section, four players make up the brass component, Can plus bass trombonist Christian Overton and trumpeters Jason Logue and Kevin Turcotte. Holding things down solidly are acoustic bassist Andrew Downing and drummer Ernesto Cervini, and two guests appear on separate tracks, alto saxophonist Oatts on his tribute number and percussionist Mark Kelso on Carn's “Saudé.” The group's sound is muscular, its attack visceral, and its stylistic purview broad.

Davidson's aptly titled Oatts homage “Fire” roars from the drop and demonstrates how powerful the band's punchy attack can be. The post-bop barnburner achieves lift-off when Oatts lunges into his solo, a high-velocity and free-wheeling turn well-supported by the drive generated by the bassist and drummer and punctuated by the brass and wind players. The also fittingly named “Groove” pays warm tribute to tenor saxist Redman by building on Cervini's funky pulse with a soulful celebration crowned by boisterous solos from Jefferson and the drummer. Don't be surprised if your thoughts turn to New Orleans as the good-time number makes a triumphant case for itself. Following those two high-intensity pieces, the laid-back feel of Carn's “If Not Now, Then When?” isn't unwelcome. A Jobim-inspired bossa nova, the tune's sultry textures transplant the listener to Rio de Janeiro and, following an aggressive solo by the trombonist, turn ever sultrier when the co-leaders add vocalizations to the mix. “If Not Now, Then When?” also serves as a prime illustration of the high calibre of the arrangements Davidson and Carn have crafted for the eight pieces, each one an elaborate and resplendent affair.

Speaking of groove, “Saudé” exudes the kind of swing that makes sitting still impossible. Dedicated to Pascoal, the material builds on its Brazilian dance beat opening with an infectious, percussion-enhanced samba. Carn apparently wrote “Just Because” to lift his spirits on a trying day, and in doing so he lifts those of others too, especially when the samba swings enticingly and includes an authoritative trumpet solo by Logue. The trombonist's “Florencio” honours his father with a gorgeous rhumba that's forlorn in the best way and expresses the son's affection for his dad with sincerity. A lovely brass chorale introduces “Wonderment,” Davidson's tribute to Canadian saxophonist Jensen, after which the arrangement blossoms with spectacular polyphonic writing inspired by her own ensemble writing; don't miss the beautiful woodwinds interlude that emerges halfway through either. Davidson's affirmation “Joy" caps the release on a high with her radiant homage to alto saxophonist Garrett, Beddage on baritone sax the featured soloist.

December 2024