Kelly Jefferson Quartet: Next Exit

Kelly Jefferson: saxophone; David Braid: piano and keyboards; Marc Rogers: bass; Mark McLean: drums

Next Exit / Mandelbrot / Unconditional / Give Away, Take Away / Ginza / Rust Line / Glass / Everything is Beautiful

Wholenote Discoveries - October 2010
Kelly Jefferson is a top flight saxophonist and cements his reputation on this bracing eight-track outing. Add his forceful leadership to pianist David Braid, who also tackles Fender Rhodes and synths, bass Marc Rogers and drummer Mark McLean and it’s a truly gifted combo. Group cohesion may be showcased and Jefferson’s relentless drive tempered by sleek tones but his adroit negotiation of the labyrinthine complexity of much of this music is admirable - he penned five tunes, including the joyfully creative title piece, on which Braid’s keyboard work also excels. There’s crafted unison playing, special horn effects and much sophisticated jazz of emotional depth. Unconditional’s attractive lines are almost romantic but on the ensuing Give Away, Take Away there’s daunting time shifts plus breezily confident sax and Rhodes offerings over a thick harmonic palette. Jefferson’s playing on his ballad Glass is splendid. The pulse team is strong, notably on upbeat romps. Geoff Chapman
A fresh-sounding recording indeed! For those who haven't been introduced to Kelly Jefferson, this is a great place to start. If you already know about this Canadian saxophonist, add this one to the collection for sure!. The packaging has the look of an album from the days of yore (Paul Chambers' "Go", anyone?), but traditional music this isn't.
Though it isn't traditional, you can hear in the leader's sound that he has absorbed much from the past masters. His weighty tone, albeit with a modern edge, is crisp and to-the-point. The opening track becomes a nice medium-up swinger with Jefferson spinning off melodies of intrigue and strength. Pianist David Braid is in fine fettle absorbing and reconfiguring what the leader has to offer. Braid builds his solo nicely, leading the group into a nice half-time swing, and the original tempo returning with some sax backgrounds. The tune has a little surprise ending which has its charm with a vamp, overlayed sax lines and the like...
The second tune has some interesting twists, its a bit of a "round", if you like, with Braid switching over to Fender Rhodes. It is moody, swirling, and Jefferson adds a little wah-pedal to his sound for something a little different. A great piece.
The rest of the disc has great writing and playing, with forwarding-looking sensibility without ever forgoing too much of the tradition. The rhythm section has to be mentioned, though, for sounding like a top-shelf unit. Rogers and McLean mesh very well and Braid is always enjoyable, especially through snippets of dissonance (which always build great tension and release!) and rhythmic complexity. An enjoyable disc for sure, and even more so coming from homegrown talent!

Price: $15.98