PAPATAMUS REDUX

CELLAR MUSIC (RELEASED MAY 29, 2026)

Searching for a clarinetist who approaches the instrument with modern (almost sax-like) sensibilities? You’ll find it on In Search Of…, the debut release from Canadian clarinetist Virginia MacDonald. After appearing on more than 20 recordings, MacDonald gets an opportunity to stand out on her own as a player, composer and bandleader. Working with a stellar trio of Geoffrey Keezer on piano, Ira Coleman on bass and Curtis Nowosad on drums, MacDonald soars through six originals and two standards. The angular “Last Call at Dimitri’s” sets the tone for the set. It’s a contemporary angular piece on which MacDonald clearly lives up to trombonist Michael Dease’s description of her playing — “the soulful essence you get on sax on the clarinet.” On this tune as well as the ballad-like “Up High, Down Low” MacDonald enlists the support of Canadian vocalist Laura Anglade to compliment the opening and closing lines on these original melodies. It’s an interesting combination MacDonald should explore on future sessions. Other originals on “In Search Of …” include: the modern Latin groove of the title track on which MacDonalds explores the range of her instrument without the cliché clarinet licks;” the bop feel of “Retrogression” driven by the steady pulse of Coleman and Nowosad; the open feel of“ Hope” with an aggressive percussive solo from Keezer; and the angular “Eternal Return of the Same” which showcases the interplay between the trio. MacDonald truly shines on the standards — a version of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust” that rivals Coleman Hawkin’s exploration of “Body and Soul” and an equally compelling take of Charles Mingus’ “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love.” The accompaniment of Coleman (on “Stardust”) and Keezer (on “Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love) adds depth and beauty to MacDonald’s always tasteful arpeggios and cascades. The search for a clarinetist who approaches the instrument with modern sensibilities starts with Virginia MacDonald’s “In Search Of …” Let’s hope it doesn’t end there!

BOTTOM LINE: With In Search Of …, Canadian clarinetist Virginia MacDonald is no longer in the shadow of other bandleaders. She is casting her own shadow as a trailblazer on the clarinet. This set of six originals and two standards prove what trombonist Michael Dease has to say about her — “she is redefining the creative possibilities of jazz clarinet for a new generation.”