Rob Dixon and Friends Give Off Some Robust Jazz Sounds
Rob Dixon joins forces with an ensemble of performers to create a record that stands tall amongst the jazz world, giving off moods, atmospheres, and more throughout its course.
Rob is a well-known saxophonist, and he performs throughout this record with this beautifully robust approach that gives off both intensity and smooth tendencies. He's able to really feel the mood and flow along with it, pushing it forward and giving off soulful riffs left and right.
There's a lot of different aspects to jazz music that make it addicting. For me, it's that live performance vibe and aesthetic that really grabs me. It puts you in the moment with the songs and makes you feel like you're there, watching the performance right in front of your face.
This album pulls that off without a hitch and gives it character to boot.
The record is called Naptown Soul, and it is packed with brilliant performances by all players, helping build out those sort of lush soundscapes. These songs are most certainly alive and breathing, and it's one of the best things about them. The changes are awesome; they go in different directions, but they kind of let you know what's coming at the same time.
They jam out, freestyle, improvise a little bit, and give you that perfect jazz feel from start to finish. They have the mix of improvisation with those main melodic hooks they began with, and that's really what makes the record so addictive.
When you listen to albums like this, you want that bit of improvisation. You want the guitarist to take the reins for a little bit and jam out. You want the saxophone to riff off and give you that soulful approach. You want the drumming to shine and have fun, and of course, you want those keys to deliver some depth.
The album pulls it off from beginning to end.
Songs like "Walking in Rhythm" kick things off, giving you that hook right from the start. So you're pulled into this danceable and deep-pocketed groove while getting addicted to that main riff.
The organs on this track, but also throughout the entire record, really riff.
I feel like the organ performance here is a huge element to the rhythm of the songs. Not just melody, riffs, and fun, but also the grooves that the songs deliver are pushed a little more by a lot of the organ work on the record.
Sam Fribush definitely brings some swagger on those organs from the very first track and on through the rest of the record.
Now, a lot of the record also gives you flavorful palettes because of the guitar work. The guitars both jam on some great lead work and also give you more rhythmic tonality and groove as well.
The guitarist, Dave Stryker, pulls out all the stops and really adds a silky kind of soul to the already smooth feel the record portrays.
The drumming is not only the backbone of the record but one of the elements the rest of them have a particular way of pushing off of.
The drum performance throughout the album isn't just straight, standard jazz drumming. It branches out, creating different kinds of pockets and time signatures the guys can really get into.
Songs like "I Want You" can really showcase how he's able to work with those hi-hats and create different kinds of rhythms using what some may consider to be semi-ghost notes.
Of course, there's no getting away from performers like Rob, Dave, or Sam, for that matter, so they really fall right into the pattern, giving the songs this great sort of milky, colorful texture and aesthetic, which is completely addictive and infectious, getting you into those atmospheres right from the beginning of the record.
"Fields and Valleys" is one of my favorite tracks on the album simply because they really go off and have a lot of fun. This is one of the songs that I'm talking about when I say it puts you in the moment with them or how it feels like a live performance.
Right off the bat, you're getting some amazing guitar work, smooth as can be, hints of twang, and rolling through these great jazz scales, but again, it's all got heart, soul, and the more you listen to the record, the more you realize that these are just a group of people that have a love for their craft.
When I say that, I don't just mean playing their instruments. I mean creating songs together, jamming, feeling the groove, and riffing from there.
It's all part of great jazz, and these guys are masters at it.
Plus, you can feel that synergy flowing and fluctuating between them all, and all of it makes for a really incredible set of songs that sort of take you away to a different place for a little chunk of time.
The album spans 8 tracks lasting about 45 minutes, and if you're someone who loves jazz music that creates great moods and puts you in that live performance headspace, this is absolutely for you.
Rob is an amazing saxophonist and makes it seem almost like it's as easy as breathing for him to perform on a record like this.
That level of smoothness and sort of freeing performance really puts you right in the zone with the guys.
So, dive into this record as soon as you can because it's a really good time and displays, once more, a group of musicians who are absolutely in love with the genre and the craft.
Jump in now and remember where you heard it first.
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