Arrive is
Aram Shelton's second release on 482 Music (the first one was with the group
Grey Ghost). This quartet project features
the Vandermark 5's drummer, Tim Daisy (who previously worked with
Shelton in the trio
Dragons 1976), vibraphonist
Jason Adasiewicz (
Harris Eisenstadt's
The Soul and Gone), and bassist
Jason Roebke (
Tigersmilk,
Scott Fields Ensemble and
Eisenstadt's
The Soul and Gone) -- a Chicago jazz quartet by all means.
Arrive runs on sharp heads, a flexible rhythm section, and inspired far-reaching exchanges between
Shelton's alto sax and
Adasiewicz's vibes. The young sax player's writing has a lot of elegance and soul, in a field where it's often too easy to come up with clinical-sounding themes. "All Dressed Up" is propelled by a warm tune that you are likely to come back to often. "The Return" has a well-pinned free jazz flux going on, with mind-boggling work from
Roebke and Daisy. The only disappointment is "Johann & Leo"; its vibes intro is a bit too predictable and bland to truly showcase
Adasiewicz's skills, and the piece tacked to it fails to convince the listener that the harsh contrast between the ballad-like sax line and the hammered vibes part was really necessary.
Shelton's tone is well rounded, with nice boppy inflections and a sharp attack, even in the quieter pieces. The album has been kept short (45 minutes), which, "Johann & Leo" aside, provides a pleasant and focused listening experience. ~ François Couture