Jonathan Zwartz - The Sea (2009)

Tracklist:

1. The Sea
2. Epic
3. Chester
4. Martha's Lullaby
5. Traveling Song
6. Hummingbird
7. Musica Para Meu Pai
8. A Sereia

Jonathan Zwartz - double bass, composer
Barney McAll - piano
Hamish Stuart - drums
Phil Slater - trumpet
Doug deVries - nylon string acoustic guitar
Fabian Hevia - percussion

Mixed by Helik Hadar and mastered by Bernie Grundman.

The first album from Jonathan Zwartz was worth the wait. Where one might have expected driving jazz, however, Zwartz's compositions emerge with a distinct Brazilian bent: gentle, swaying creatures to soothe and seduce.

The leading Sydney bassist readily attracted high-calibre collaborators, of course: pianist Barney McAll, trumpeter Phil Slater, guitarist Doug de Vries, drummer Hamish Stuart and percussionist Fabian Hevia; all recorded with sensational clarity.

Their collective restraint generally makes the music as placid as a pond, with such solos as McAll's gorgeous story-telling on "Chester" barely rippling the surface. It could have become too docile without a climax of some sort, and the way Zwartz ups the stakes without destroying the mood is a marvel.

He suggests something's afoot via the soft shuffle of "Travelling Song" (with its compelling bass solo), and that leads into the more agitated "Hummingbird", which contains one of those trademark Slater bursts of blistered emotion. Then we're eased back into a state of bossa levitation. Beautiful.
John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald