December's Moon finds Hammond organist and erstwhile pianist Ron Oswanski crossing over from sessioner and sideman to leader on twelve freshly ECM-esque originals and covers. Proving he has friends in high places, Oswanski's most famous collaborators here are veteran jazz guitarist John Abercrombie and Chick Corea Elektric Band graduate and exalted bass icon John Patitucci. Rounding out the team are guitarist Jay Azzolina, saxist Tim Ries and drummers Ian Froman and Clarence Penn. Subtle and overt flashes of brilliance are peppered throughout the album, like Abercrombie's and Ries's paralleled lines on "White Meadow," the smoky resonance of organ-stoked "Mercury Retrograde," Ries's pastoral tenor sax melody on "Milk Of The Moon," and the airy spaces of the title track and its Metheny-esque guitar line. Chemistry is evident in spades across the length of this record, and though it is Oswanski's, he's never heard shifting or struggling for room and lets the compositions breathe and solidify in the context of an ensemble album. The overall tonal palette is richly fluid and emotive. The rhythm players augment the cerebral-ethereal goings-on. The three covers are pianist Fred Hersch's "Evanessence," trumpeter Kenny Wheeler's "Kayak," and on a lark, Led Zeppelin's "The Rain Song," all imaginatively arranged. December's Moon is a superb accomplishment that boasts some of the best working jazz talent out there.
Tracks:
1. White Meadow 6:08
2. Solo Por Undia 3:25
3. December's Moon 5:26
4. Ukrania Polka 5:23
5. Mercury Retrograde 7:16
6. The Rain Song 7:55
7. Sleeping Beauty 5:09
8. 80-80-8 6:37
9. Milk Of The Moon 5:46
10. Standard Title 5:38
11. Kayak 6:07
12. Evanessence 4:54
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