Righteous Rooster: Fowl Play
Shifting Paradigm

Fowl Play is the second great release from guitarist Kenny Reichert to brighten 2024, with his Calligram Records-issued Switch preceding it by a few months. Fowl Play isn't a solo release, however, but instead the debut effort from Righteous Rooster, a Chicago-based outfit that partners Reichert with organist Henry Dickhoff and drummer Luke Sagadin. The trio's playing aligns itself smoothly to the jazz organ trio template, with six dynamic tracks grounded in greasy funk rhythms, jazz-blues licks, and soulful interplay. Switch showcased Reichert's gifts as both player and composer, and with four of the six Fowl Play tunes credited to him—the other two Dickhoff—the release is a fine complement to the solo set.

A tune by Dickhoff opens the release, however, and it's a good one, “Groovin' On Claremont” living up to its billing with slinky swing and a funk feel that won't be denied. With Sagadin expertly powering the trio, Dickhoff sneaks in one choice riff after another and Reichert responds with his own chunky chords and licks. The trio effortlessly delivers a performance that's simultaneously tight and loose, and halfway through the guitarist lifts the tune even higher with a characteristically tasty solo. Up next is a lustrous jazz waltz from Reichert titled “The End of the World” that's less aggressive than the opener but no less appealing. The very epitome of smooth, the cut unfurls elegantly with engaging solos from all three, a powerful one from Sagadin the capper.

Though its writing was, we're told, “inspired by a night of over-indulgence,” there's nothing woozy about “James Beam” when the drummer grounds the track with a tight funk groove, Reichert lays a snarling solo across it, and Dickhoff puts his own rousing stamp on the performance. Compositions such as “James Beam” and the silky blues cut “The Fridge” clearly demonstrate, as mentioned, Reichert's strengths as a writer. Each composition provides a great foundation for soloing but is far more than a mere springboard. Not everything's uptempo, by the way, as Dickhoff's ballad “Aravind” demonstrates beautifully. With Sagadin on brushes, the organist paints a warm, serene scene in a romantic tune that plays like some distant cousin to Monk's “Ask Me Now.”

While serving up its own sound, Righteous Rooster carries on the tradition associated with groups like the Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart trio and Medeski Martin & Wood. Admittedly, the thirty-four-minute Fowl Play is short by full-length standards, and certainly room was available for a seventh cut to be added. But there are satisfactions aplenty nonetheless, and excitement for a hoped-for second round kicks in the moment Reichert's swinging blues “Late Night Reprise” brings it to a breezy close.

October 2024