Alliance

SHIFTING PARADIGMS (RELEASED MARCH 2024)

The debut recording from the cooperative Alliance starts with a bang — Mulgrew Miller’s upbeat “Wingspan,” with Sharel Cassity demonstrating why she was named Downbeat’s 2023 rising star on the alto saxophone. Her blistering solo and the support of a solid rhythm section suggest what lies ahead — a solid post-bop session delivered flawlessly by this all-female ensemble. Cassity and drummer Colleen Clark brought this group together for two reasons — to celebrate the jazz tradition and to pass the torch to the next generation of players. They accomplish the first goal with a set that balances originals with some jazz classics. To accomplish the second goal, Cassity and Clark invited several fresh voices into the ensemble — pianist Hannah Mayer and bassist Carmani Edwards. Following the upbeat opener, Edwards’ strong bass line sets the tone for Mary Lou William’s “Syl-O-gism,” a catchy melody with soulful solos from Cassity and Mayer. Cassity turns to her flute for Jimmy Heath’s “Gemini” and showcases her soprano sax playing on an extended version of Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage,” complete with Mayer switching to electric piano. Clark’s composing skills are showcased on “Caro-lin-a,” a funky tune with a New Orleans shuffle beat while Mayer’s “Something New” is a straight ahead swinger complete with Clark trading fours with the band. Harold Mabern’s “There But for the Grace of …” gets the Bluenote inspired hard-bop treatment it deserves with the addition of trumpeter Kellin Hanas. It does not matter to me that Alliance is all-female band. Nor does it matter that Alliance represents two generations of jazz players. What matters the most is that Alliance’s debut release is perfection for what it does — keeping the jazz tradition alive and swinging.

BOTTOM LINE: Alliance may not have the star power of Artemis, another popular all-female jazz ensemble, but they certainly have the talent in co-leaders saxophonist Sharel Cassity and drummer Colleen Clark to lead an ensemble of relative new comers to the scene through a solid post-bop session of originals and jazz classics.