JOHN PATITUCCI – SPIRIT FALL (Edition Records) (2 x LP, CD, DL) (2025)

John Patitucci was bassist with Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea. Opener ‘Think Fast’ features Chris Potter’s lithe, flitting soprano sax lines, with Brian Blade’s distinctive and deft drumming (He and Patitucci were part of the Wayne Shorter quartet right up to Shorter’s death in 2023), complimented perfectly by Patitiucci’s fluid and expressive bass. The title of ‘Deluge on 7th Avenue’ refers to the stormy weather outside the Village Vanguard venue during a monthly residence in a freshened-up blues based number with the album’s first extended bass solo. There is a nice change of pace on ‘Thoughts and Dreams’, a ballad with Patitucci on electric guitar. The title track has mazy electric guitar runs melding with mazy sax runs a foil to the descending guitar chords and an unexpected but efficacious coda. ‘Lipim’ starts as a funky groove becoming more reflective as it progresses, a mature composition by any standard. ‘Silent Prayer’ is another fine composition while ‘Light in the Darkness’ sees Potter switching to bass clarinet. ‘Light in the Darkness’ sounds Calypso with a Latin beat with more mesmerising soloing while ‘Sonrisa’ is a complex form of jazz-blues with finely picked electric guitar notes, and Blade’s rolling drums and cymbal work showing yet again the exquisite potpourri of styles incorporated within the album. “Spirit Fall” is a highly recommended album by three of my favourite jazz musicians whose synergetic combination cries out for a repeat performance.