Timothy Norton: Visions of Phaedrus
Truth Revolution Recording Collective
For his debut album, jazz bassist Timothy Norton looked for inspiration to Plato's Phaedrus, in which Socrates and the titular Athenian aristocrat discuss multiple topics, including the impact of writing on memory (in Socrates' words, “For this invention will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practice their memory”). However interesting that is, it can be pretty much disregarded when it comes to broaching Visions of Phaedrus as a musical statement. In whatever ways the philosophical tome factored into the album's creation, its eight instrumentals, laid down at Brooklyn's Big Orange Sheep Studios in August 2021, can be wholly appreciated in its absence. If a connection is shared between the two, it lies more generally in the conversational to-and-fro between participants and probing examination of a work's content.
The writing's strong—only the closing track, Sean Clapis's blazing “Isle of Fogo,” is a non-Norton composition—and the playing's sharp. The former's important, but the latter's even more key when a project's grounded in musical interplay. To that end, the bassist's effort is distinguished by the involvement of saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh, trumpeter Josh Evans, guitarist Leandro Pellegrino, pianist Randy Ingram, and drummer Kush Abadey. All make their presences felt in distinct ways. Pellegrino brings an edge to this otherwise acoustic date, comping behind the horns and adding an occasional solo (hear how his playing ignites “Baccari Rambo,” for example). Sabbagh lifts the performance whenever he steps forth, though the same could be said of Ingram, Evans, and Abadey. Norton himself plays with authority and conviction, though one would expect nothing less when it's his date.
As far as the writing's concerned, some tracks exude post-bop drive, others Latin-tinged thrust. In place of the standard triplet feel of traditional jazz, Norton often opts for a sensual vamp-styled groove that lends the material a soulful quality. See the languorous opener, “Couple of Plebs,” as an illustration, this one a warm, horns-kissed exercise animated by an enticing bass pulse, a gently swinging solo from Ingram, and a smoky tenor turn by Sabbagh. Buoyed by a nimble dancing pulse, “King's Inn” wraps its lyrical waltz performance in soul too. “It's Five O'Clock Somewhere” likewise advances with purpose, powered as it is by strong piano and trumpet solos and stoked by Abadey's drive. Balladry also finds its place on the album, “Rafe's Windmill” a fine demonstration of restrained expression.
While Norton's bass-playing prowess is evident in the unaccompanied intro to “Saba Saba Bachu Bachu,” Visions of Phaedrus primarily focuses on ensemble interaction than individual expression, though the latter's certainly present in Evans's rousing contribution to the boppish “Saba Saba Bachu Bachu” and the muscular one by Sabbagh that follows. Solos by Norton, naturally, appear throughout, with each arresting for its precision, clarity, and taste. There's nothing frivolous about the playing, but moments of light-heartedness do seep in, as intimated by track titles such as “It's Five O'Clock Somewhere” and “Ergo the Boogeyman”; “Saba Saba Bachu Bachu” even takes its name from nonsense babbled by Norton's two-year-old niece. Consistent with the dialogue theme, the tracks flow with ease, much like longtime friends conversing during a relaxing get-together. Not too shabby for a debut, all things considered.November 2022