Denman Maroney Quintet - Umwelt (2025)

Pianist Denman Maroney leads a quintet of Guillaume Orti/ss-as, Robin Fincker/ts-cl, Scott Walton/b and Samuel Silvant/dr through a collection of reedy originals. The rich textures of the woodwinds give hints of a melodic World Saxophone Quartet and the wispiness of Jimmy Giuffre, with delicate dots and dashes on “Rolling Evermore” and the horns forming soft textures on the Monkish “Two UP, One Down”. There’s a fun and loose swing feel on “Andale/Simplicity” with Orgi sighing n “Isotope”. Maroney himself is inquisitive on “Lilt” and rich with thoughtfulness on the gentle “Iteratio”. Reflective reeds.~ By George W. Harris