Michael Kruge - Blue Water (2019)

Blue Water features all original works by Michael Kruge - New Jersey composer, cellist, mandolinist and bassist - in his debut release as leader. Inspired by Chico Hamilton, Cal Tjader, J. S. Bach, H. Villa-Lobos, Ali Akbar Khan and many others, his works now mostly project Latin jazz and samba jazz vibes. The album takes its name from the title track - Aigua Blava, which is "Blue Water" in Catalan.
Exploring and extending the possibilities of the cello in improvised music for many years, he has turned to playing an amplified acoustic instrument set in what he calls "jazz tuning" - a fifth above the standard tuning - a configuration sometimes referred to as a tenor violin. This places it in the ideal mid-range for jazz, like the tenor saxophone. He also plays an electric mandola on the date, outfitted with single strings instead of the usual pairs, giving a jazz guitar-like timbre but in the alto range.
The superb musicians appearing with him on this album have extensive discographies of their own. Andrea Brachfeld on flute and alto flute confidently takes the lead on most of the compositions, with soaring, inventive flights of improvisation. Pianist and co-producer Oscar Perez provides sensitive but driving comping, interspersed with fluid melodic passages and the spot-on perfection of his Latin-infused chordal soloing. Thomson Kneeland's acoustic bass provides harmonically and rhythmically solid underpinning, along with stunningly nimble solos exploiting the full range of the instrument. Drummer Alvester Garnett demonstrates a phenomenal precision and dexterity, always musical, seamlessly navigating the changing rhythmic requirements and stepping up with astonishing intensity during his featured solos.
The performances were skillfully recorded and patiently mixed by veteran engineer David Amlen at Sound on Sound Studios (Montclair, New Jersey) and enhanced with tasteful mastering by David Darlington at Bass Hit Studios (New York, New York).