PAPATAMUS REDUX

SUNNYSIDE 1738  (RELEASED OCTOBER 11, 2024)

The latest recording from violinist Jason Anick and Jason Yeager is a musical smorgasbord. Anick and Yeager serve up a program with something to please any taste. Like any smorgasbord there may be things you savor and others you will more than likely pass up. I chose the following for my plate — the modern post-bop sound of “Future Past” with an outstanding solo from trumpeter Billy Buss (a new name for me); the straight ahead swing of “Nearness of Now” (based on Hoagy Carmichael’s “Nearness of You”) featuring intuitive musical interactions between Anick and Buss; Wayne Shorter’s “Lost” with an outstanding tenor solo from guest artist Edmar Colon; the mournful march of “Sanctuary” featuring the trumpet of Jason Palmer; and the Middle Eastern vibe of “Farewell.” Some items that I passed on were the jazz rock of “AI Apocalypse” with its synthesizer effects and booming electric bass; the classical delicacy of Frederic Chopin’s “Raindrop, Prelude Op. 28. No 15;” and the folksy, new age violin/piano duet of “Colorado.” Your tastes may be different, and that’s what a smorgasbord is all about. So, check it out for yourself. One thing we will probably all agree on is the virtuosity of all musicians including bassist Greg Loughman and drummer Mike Connors, who have previously recorded with Anick and Yeager, and cellist Naseem Alatrash who adds some musical color to “Persecution” and “Farewell.”  

BOTTOM LINE: Violinist Jason Anick and pianist Jason Yeager first met as teens at a local jam session in Boston. Sanctuary, a follow up to their 2017 recording United, however, is far from a jam session. It is a smorgasbord of post-bop, fusion, swing and semi-classical. See what appeals to your musical appetite!