Jon Irabagon, Mark Helias, Barry Altschul - It Takes All Kinds (2013)

Tracklist

01. Wherewithall
02. Vestiges
03. Quintessential kitten
04. Elusive
05. Cutting corners
06. Unconditional
07. Sunrise
08. Pause and flip

The 2008 Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition winner, Jon Irabagon, has studied under a varied but impressive list of mentors that goes from Wynton Marsalis to Roscoe Mitchell, and he’s also worked with non-jazz folks like Bright Eyes and Billy Joel. It Takes All Kinds is a classic example of adventurous improvised jazz. Recorded live in 2013, the album opens with the playful stop-and-start “Wherewithal,” where the trio works through a series of ideas. “Vestiges” has more of a groove at its heart that supports Irabagon’s riff-based flights. Irabagon’s best performance on the album, “Quintessential Kitten,” opens with a long solo section by the saxophonist before the band kicks into a gambit that alternates a feathery melody and a grinding riff until the saxophonist bears down and closes things with a long passage of circular breathing. Bassist Mark Helias shines with his own solo on “Cutting Corners,” which is followed by a nice turn from drummer Barry Altschul on “Unconditional.” Definitely one for fans of free-ranging jazz trios.

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