Tom Harrell - Light On (2007)

Tom Harrell is one of those jazz artists who frequently gets labeled a "musician's musician"--that is, one whose playing and writing have a sophisticated "inside" brilliance that may escape the ordinary listener. While some of the trumpeter's albums have failed to resonate with listeners for other reasons, his lyrical invention and harmonic depth are difficult to resist most of the time. Light On, Harrell's first recording in four years, is one of his standout efforts. It eschews the album concepts and ethnic experiments he is fond of in favor of a strong, varied, straight-ahead collection of originals. He and a new cast of players including the formidable, London-born tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery and agile young pianist Danny Grissett bask in the sheer tunefulness of "Fountain," ride a Brazilian groove to invigorating effect on "The Gronk," and bring a blunt, propulsive authority to "Va." One of Harrell's great attributes is his refusal to waste notes. What you hear, you get. -- Lloyd Sachs