Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: Kites and Strings

4

Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: Kites and Strings

By

Sign in to view read count
Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: Kites and Strings
Ben Rosenblum uses a lot of different instrumental elements on this release. For starters, he himself plays both piano and accordion, and his sextet also features trumpet, reeds and guitar. In addition, vibraphone and trombone show up on some tracks. That creates a blend of various textures and sounds which bring variety to this program of bright jazz compositions.

Rosenblum's accordion flows together nicely with the sounds of Wayne Tucker's trumpet, and Jasper Dutz's bass clarinet on the breezily up-tempo "Laughing on the Inside." Rafael Rosa's guitar maintains a springy chord accompaniment here before going wild with a solo full of fat rock licks. The group's close-knit, gliding sound continues through the lyrical waltz "Halfway to Wonderland," with Rosenblum on piano, and the exuberant "Cedar Place" where he plays both instruments, saving his soloing for the accordion. On "Fight Or Flight" Rosenblum's accordion goes jaggedly up and down while the other players swirl over him. "Izpoved" is a traditional Bulgarian melody which the sextet plays with a somber beauty, and the title track is a bit of mellow quasi-exotica with Jake Chapman's ringing vibes bringing in a tropical element which complements Rosenblum's tango riffs and the horns' serene melody.

A few selections in this set come from outside sources . On Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere" Rosenblum romantically plays the melody on accordion alongside guest pianist Jeremy Corren while the rest of the band provides the music with an underlying rhythmic kick. Corren also shines on Rosenblum's gentle adaption of a Brahms theme. Neil Young's "Philadelphia" gets a stately treatment with Sam Chess's trombone eloquently leading the way for Dutz's tenor and Rosenblum's piano. Rosa adds a shaft of electric guitar that bears some of Neil Young's own rich, sustained tones. Chess and Chapman both augment the ensemble's warm, enveloping sound on Rosenblum's original, "Bright Above Us," a tune with a noble gentility which turns much heavier when Rosa's sweeping electric guitar hammers in.

With his Nebula Project Ben Rosenblum has put together a combination of seemingly incongruous instrumental voices that sounds very fluid and cohesive. The group can romp on straight jazz tunes but is also capable of expressive sounds with a rich and melancholy air. This band has a unique sound that is worth hearing.

Track Listing

Cedar Place; Kites and Strings; Halfway to Wonderland; Fight or Flight; Somewhere; Philadelphia; Bright Above Us; Laughing on the Inside; Izpoved.

Personnel

Ben Rosenblum
accordion
Wayne Tucker
trumpet
Jasper Dutz
saxophone, alto
Sam Chess
trombone
Jake Chapman
vibraphone
Rafael Rosa
guitar
Ben Zweig
drums
Additional Instrumentation

Ben Rosenblum: piano; Jasper Dutz: bass clarinet; Ben Zweig: percussion; Sam Chess: trombone (tracks 7 & 8); Jeremy Corren: piano (tacks 4 & 6); Jake Chapman: vibraphone (tracks 2 & 8).

Album information

Title: Kites and Strings | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: One Trick Dog Records

Comments

Tags

Concerts

Apr 26 Fri

For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.