Larson, Adam: Selective Amnesia

Adam Larson is a young jazz phenom from New York City specializing on the saxophone. On his new album Selective Amnesia, his third as a band leader, he is joined by Mathew Stevens (guitar), Fabian Almazan (piano, Rhodes), Matt Penman (bass) and Jimmy Macbride (drums). What jumps out upon first listen are the incredibly strong melodies all over the disc. Larson is an exceptional player weaving his rich tapestries throughout these eight compositions of contemporary jazz. It also helps to have great musicians backing him up of which he has in spades. These cats really can play and play they do. The first track "Suitable Replacement" starts gently enough with subtle cymbals, soft piano and lovely saxophone. The players lock into a groove allowing Larson to break free and add a superb solo. Not to be out done, Almazan does his thing on the ivories and Penman's fingers fly up and down his bass demonstrating superb musicianship. All the while the melody is kept close at hand making this an easy track to digest even though the complexity is certainly there. "Vanished Theories", a homage to the people who lost their lives in the Malaysian Airlines disaster in 2014 is a balladic piece featuring a wonderful piano solo. "McWendel", a tribute to saxophonists Donny McCaslin and Ben Wendel, is another excellent track with vibrant sax and sweet guitar work from Stevens. Stevens also makes his presence felt on "Gratitude" with another tasty lead complimenting Larson's languid saxophone.

There are no bad tracks here making Selective Amnesia one of the strongest contemporary jazz album I have heard this year. Larson shows his considerable skill and innovation on every track and should be a resounding force in the world of jazz for years to come.

Released on Inner Circle Music.

Track Listing:
1. Suitable Replacement (6:03)
2. Vanished Theories (3:57)
3. McWendel (7:20)
4. Gratitude (7:08)
5. Disguise (7:17)
6. ShitPay (6:43)
7. Your Loss (8:13)
8. The Dope Pope (5:18)

Added: November 30th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 1695
Language: english

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