(Post-Bop / Trumpet Jazz) Jack Walrath - Heavy Mirth - 2010, MP3, 256 kbps

An often exciting, thoughtful trumpeter and good arranger, Jack Walrath has steadily gained attention and exposure through his contributions to outstanding sessions. Walrath began playing trumpet at nine, and studied at Berklee in the mid- and late '60s while working with other students and backing up R&B vocalists. He moved to the West Coast in 1969, and co-led the bands Change with Gary Peacock, and Revival with Glenn Ferris. Walrath also toured a year with Ray Charles. Walrath relocated to New York in the early 70s, and worked with Latin bands before playing with Charles Mingus from 1974 to 1979, an association that gave him a certain amount of recognition. Walrath contributed some arrangements and orchestrations to Mingus' final recordings. In the 1980s and '90s, he led his own bands, toured Europe with Dannie Richmond and the British group Spirit Level, worked with Charlie Persip's Superband and Richard Abrams, and helped keep the music of Charles Mingus alive by playing with Mingus Dynasty. Jack Walrath has recorded as a leader for Gatemouth, Stash, SteepleChase, Red, Muse, Spotlite, Blue Note, and Mapleshade; he is still improving with age.

Jack Walrath has long been heralded by astute writers who recognize his willingness to experiment in his writing and playing. This 2008 session pairs the veteran trumpeter (who served with Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, and as a member of Mingus Dynasty) with tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton, pianist Orrin Evans, Mingus Big Band bassist Boris Kozlov, and the in-demand drummer Jonathan Blake, interpreting nine stimulating originals by the leader. The rapid-fire, insistent theme of "Bassballs" proves immediately infectious. A spirited Latin undercurrent adds a twist to "Cloak and Dagger," with Walrath's powerful solo as its centerpiece. The jaunty "Anthropod Epiphany" has a humorous flavor, while the breezy "Roadkill" showcases Kozlov's fleet solo and Burton's full-bodied tenor. The loopy "Blood" sounds like something that Charles Mingus might have written. The bluesy "A Long, Slow, Agonizing Descent into the Depth of Despair" features Evans' delicious gospel-inflected piano, with a fine improvised vocal and a bit of playful scatting by TC III. Highly recommended.

Jack Walrath, trumpet
Abraham Burton, tenor sax
Orrin Evans, piano
Boris Kozlov, bass
Johnathan Blake, drums
T. C. III, vocal on #6