The Chromatic Persuaders - The Chromatic Persuaders (1994)

Tracklist

01. Arthur's Seat
02. The Chromatic Persuaders
03. Drums of Heaven
04. Nova
05. Evesong
06. Gloria's Step
07. Monolithic Attitude
08. Providence
09. Low Life

If ever a modern gypsy swing band were aptly named, this is it. But the Chromatic Persuaders are much more than that. As a list of their personnel will indicate, this quartet comes from all over the musical spectrum, though all have some involvement with the downtown New York scene. The name of the game with this band is color: Check the blue and green landscapes on pianist Neal Kirkwood's "Arthur's Seat" (he wrote the lion's share of the material here), or "Drums of Heaven," with Mark Feldman's staggering violin solo and elongated angularities where bossa, samba, and progressive jazz come together. Better yet, check the band's read of Scott LaFaro's "Gloria's Step," where Feldman carries the melody and Kirkwood and bassist Lindsey Horner comp through him. The lilt is just right and sounds like a singer coming in to swoon over a verse, and the staccato bass move by Horner has just enough tension to propel the band forward into the stirring range of harmonic shades and textures. Ultimately though, it's a combination of factors that has this band playing head over heels better than almost anyone in New York. By not being locked into anything, the Chromatic Persuaders (named after a line in a Sam Shepard play Horner scored) can be, and are, everything that jazz is without playing a particular brand of jazz. They improvise, they swing, they orchestrate, and they entertain. Who could ask for more? And this is just the first album!

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