PAPATAMUS REDUX

RESIDENT ARTS RECORDS (RELEASED MAY 15, 2026)

Although bassist Ben Wolfe replaced the guitar with vibes, the music of Any Time After Now bears a striking resemblance to his 2024 Understated session — relaxed and intricate performances in the style of Lennie Tristano. The comparison is most obvious on the title track — a Tristano/Konitz inspired line played in unison by saxophonist Chris Lewis and vibraphonist Joel Ross before they trade solos. Wolfe, pianist Sullivan Fortner and drummer Aaron Kimmel provide a solid and steady rhythmic and harmonic foundation for Lewis and Ross. The spirit of Tristano is also evident on “Blues,” featuring solos from Lewis, Ross and Fortner; the up-tempo “Always Four,” a feature for Kimmel; the boppish bonus track “Green;” and the angular “Down in Gravity,” on which Wolfe gets to show his prowess with a thoughtful and  melodic bass solo. Wolfe is also featured on “5/4 Groove,” a tune that includes an elegant chordal solo from Fortner and a splendid exchange between Lewis and Ross. As Jeff “Tain Watts” explains in his liner notes for Any Time After Now, “the music is engaging, yet full of subtext, showing Wolfe to be a proponent of influences from intellectual to visceral.” Wolfe’s approach to jazz is nothing new for Kimmel and Ross who have recorded on earlier Wolfe sessions, and it is obvious that Lewis and Fortner have embraced that style as well. If you are a fan of the Tristano school or looking for a modern-day approach to the music of the Modern Jazz Quartet, you can’t go wrong with Ben Wolfe’s Any Time After Now.

BOTTOM LINE: This is bassist Ben Wolfe’s 12^th recording as a leader and like his earlier sessions, it is music that is unhurried uncluttered and understated, yet played with integrity, imagination and inspiration by Wolfe, pianist Sullivan Fortner, vibraphonist Joel Ross, saxophonist Chris Lewis and drummer Aaron Kimmel.