Timothy Norton - Visions of Phaedrus (2022)

The debut from bassist Timothy Norton, 2022's Visions of Phaedrus is a smoky and enveloping acoustic post-bop session that benefits from his skilled sextet. A Brooklyn-based artist with connections to Jazz at Lincoln Center, Norton is both an impressive soloist and a composer. Blessed with a big warm tone and knack for laying down nuanced harmonic lines, his playing works as a nice bridge between the exuberant style of Christian McBride and the melodicism of Larry Grenadier. Joining him in his sextet are several close associates, including trumpeter Josh Evans, saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh, guitarist Leandro Pellegrino, pianist Randy Ingram, and drummer Kush Abadey. Together, they dive into Norton's songs with an in-the-moment sound that has the crackling energy of a live small club date. While the opening "Couple of Plebs" is an easygoing, tango-inspired piece, things heat up quickly. "Saba Saba Bachu Bachu" opens with a bluesy unaccompanied solo from Norton in the Charles Mingus tradition that nicely sets up the tune's roiling Latin modal groove. Trumpeter Evans soon takes over, moaning into long spirals of notes with a Freddie Hubbard-esque intensity. Equally compelling is the shimmering "Baccari Rambo," another modal piece that evokes Maiden Voyage-era Herbie Hancock. It features guitarist Pellegrino, whose edgy, electric fusion textures rub against Norton's woody bass, bringing to mind the work of Pat Martino. We also get the languidly meditative "Rafe's Windmill," a kind of inspired update of the Miles Davis/Bill Evans classic "Blue and Green," where wave-like trumpet and sax harmonies give way to Norton's earthy solo. That track, as with much of Visions of Phaedrus, has an intoxicating aura that resonates long after the album is over.