Tobias Meinhart: Sonic River
Sonic River Records

Saxophonist Tobias Meinhart has come a long way since exchanging a successful career in Germany for the challenges a jazz player faces coming to New York, not the least being competition. Rumour has it, according to the Brooklyn-based Meinhart, that 20,000 saxophonists populate the city, a figure that, even if inflated, makes the point that anyone hoping to make a mark better do something to stand out. Meinhart's strategy, it would seem, is to patiently and methodically develop a reputation rooted in quality contemporary jazz material and strong performances and to do so with a solid and stable band of like-minded partners by his side. On his fifth album, Sonic River, he's accompanied by pianist Eden Ladin, bassist Matt Penman, drummer Obed Calvaire, and on about half of the eleven tracks guitarist Charles Altura, with Sara Serpa also singing on two pieces.

Produced by Matt Pierson and recorded at NYC's Sear Sound Studios, the album's connection to water is reflected in many ways, for one in the idea of “flow,” as in the feeling associated with creating music in real time, and for another in the title of its opening cut, “This is Water,” a nod to David Foster Wallace's memorable commencement address at Kenyon College in 2005 (later published in book form). It's but one of many literary allusions on the album, with Brooklyn author Paul Auster also name-checked via “Mr. Vertigo” and the words on the Serpa tracks by Alejandra Pizarnik (“Silencio”) and Rainer Maria Rilke (“The Panther”). More than anything, however, the touchstone for Sonic River is water for referencing Meinhart's early years near the Danube and a life now that involves regular commutes across the East River.

His muscular tenor is all over the album, naturally, but Meinhart also plays soprano sax and alto flute, and Ladin likewise mixes things up by augmenting piano with pump organ. As his originals show, Meinhart's a strong writer too, with only one of the eleven a cover, a soulful version of Leadbelly's “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” One of the better compositions is “This is Water,” boppish in its swing but also lithe and funky and delivered with, yes, elegant flow. The leader's agile tenor nimbly dances over the rhythm section's inventive base, after which sparring partners Altura and Ladin serve up their own acrobatic contributions.

Recalling Coltrane in its title, “After the Rain” presents Meinhart in a pensive mood and waxing reflexively, while “Mr. Vertigo” sees the ensemble luxuriating in a quasi-ballad mode at a breezy mid-tempo. The relaxed pace elicits thoughtful solo explorations from Altura and the leader and sparkling accompaniment by the others. Here and elsewhere, Meinhart reveals himself to be an intelligent soloist who shapes his statements with deliberation and circumspection. That proficiency extends to soprano, which stretches across the ballad-styled title track. Penman makes his presence felt with a strong solo in “Fugue Y,” whereas the aptly titled “Pinball” features the ensemble swinging hard and comfortably embracing post-bop. As mentioned, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” receives a strong injection of soul, but R&B finds its way into the rollicking treatment also. The band's at its loosest here, and not in a bad way. With Serpa delivering Rilke's and Pizarnik's texts, “The Panther” and “Silencio” are more formal and poetic expressions by comparison, though again not objectionably.

November 2025