The Color of Things
Sandro Albert

For his second recording as a leader, acoustic and electric guitarist Sandro Albert has chosen a colorful palate of contemporary jazz, Latin sounds, and heady polyrhythms to make some wonderfully rich and original music. He is very much the leader on these sessions, using patient constructs instead of burning pyrotechnics to get his point of view across. He has also chosen some extremely talented running mates, including the veteran percussionist Airto Moreira, keyboardist Russell Ferrante, the brilliant pianist Edsel Gomez, and especially the exceptional but unsung flutist and saxophonist Katisse Buckingham. It is the partnership between Albert and Buckingham that stirs this music into a tropical fruit blended and tastefully whole. All of the music is written by Albert, starting with a bright happy tune "Message Across the Sea" moving in modes from 7/8 to 6/8 to 5/4, with Buckingham's flute and Albert's guitar squarely focused on a tricky multi-melody. Michael Brecker's unmistakable N.Y.C. neo-bop sound is portrayed by tenor saxophonist Buckingham during the title track with tick-tock drumming again in 6/8, and the spirit song feel that is a signature in contemporary jazz of the 2000s. A deliberate tick-funk "If We Could Dance Now" solidifies Albert's influences via the wordless vocals of Mark Ledford.

Sandro Albert
Robben Ford
Airto Moriera
Luis Conte
Russell Ferrante
Edsel Gomez
Katisse Buckingham
Mark Ledford
Jean Baylor
Jimmy Branly
Tamir Hendelman
Matt Rohde
Michael Valerio