Justin Chart: Keep The Blue

Not all entirely improvised music necessarily embraces dissonance and atonality, however stimulating that may be. Saxophonist Justin Chart is famous for spontaneously creating entire sets, whether in the studio or in live settings, that are firmly rooted in mainstream sounds. His output is consistently cinematic and absorbing with a mysterious aura. His Keep the Blue is the quintessential soundtrack looking for a film, a classic film noir to be exact.

The twelve tracks recorded at the Mixx in Pasadena California range from the soulful to the blues drenched "A Tribe's Vibe," a tune that" starts with a darkly hued, swaggering cadence. Chart blows with muscular, reverberating phrases that coalesce into a complex and engaging melody. Multi-instrumentalist Alex Burke is featured on vibraphone. His incandescent, cascading notes add warmth to the already simmering ambiance. Chart's fiery refrains that drummer Michael Rosen mirrors with his booming beats usher in the exciting closure.

The indigo-hued "Baritone Bravado" opens with bassist Bill Markus' taut walking lines who then takes an erudite con arco solo that is as expressive as his band mates.' Burke, switching to piano, takes center stage demonstrating a percussive style that is reminiscent of barrelhouse boogie. Chart crafts a wistful and eloquent soliloquy with elegant subtlety. Drummer Kyle Crane adds a vibrant shimmer to the backdrop with his reserved polyrhythmic flourishes.

The Impressionistic "The 6th is Just" is a mellifluous piece that Chart plays with yearning tenderness. The softly rolling rhythms and Chart's intimate saxophone conjure up deserted city streets at twilight. In contrast, reserved exuberance marks "3:59 It's About to Happen" as Chart weaves an intriguing and lyrical extemporization. Burke's resonant and softer tones echo Crane's and Markus' refrains. The record's conclusion is similar to the ending of a movie where the main storyline has reached a resolution yet leaves a lot to be.

WIth Keep the Blue Chart, once again, has delivered a captivating album in his unique style. In addition to a wealth of melodic ideas, the music here crackles with an electrifying mood and demonstrates seamless group synergy. Keep the Blue is a high point in Chart's uniformly superb career.

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