Young guitarist
Jake Langley's third effort, like his previous recordings, is firmly rooted in the swinging jazz of
Wes Montgomery. Though no compositions by
Montgomery appear on the date, it is his cool-as-a-cucumber, reserved, and thoughtful approach to post-bop that
Langley adopts as if it were his own. Organist
Sam Yahel and drummer Ian Froman play their parts perfectly in warming these tunes, far removed from funk in a deep freeze, but offering occasional air-conditioned trends that balance the temperatures comfortably. This is a pretty consistent set of tunes, mostly composed by the guitarist, starting with the good-grooving title track, the New Orleans-style blues shuffle "L-Train" with a spare melody; the sweet "Singularity" where
Langley and
Yahel hold hands with the basic line before jumping into bebop; and "2012," a nice waltz with
Yahel's swelling organ as the focal point. The fifth original, "The Ropers," sports a quaint, subtle bounce with
Yahel's spacy organ à la
Larry Goldings. Four covers include
McCoy Tyner's ultimately soulful "Blues on the Corner," played perfectly despite the tricky off-minor melody, and a respectful low-key version of the
Charles Mingus evergreen for
Lester Young "Good Bye Pork Pie Hat," with
Yahel on electric piano. A 6/8 version of
Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" and the ultra-slow ballad "You Must Believe in Spring," written by
Michel Legrand, seem like unnecessary toss-ins where better material could have been chosen.
Langley's other albums have followed a similar path to this one, so it will be interesting to see where he goes next. Considering the many routes to travel in jazz guitar circles, this remains a derivative but tasteful album, a crowd-pleaser sure to satisfy most mainstream jazz fans. ~ Michael G. Nastos