Joel Frahm Trio – ‘Lumination’

(Anzic Records ANZ-0091. Album review by Charles Rees – SEE FULL LIST OF UK/EUROPEAN TOUR DATES 28 SEP-6 OCT BELOW)

Joel Frahm is one of the world’s most accomplished saxophonists, recognisable early in his career for a style akin to Johnny Griffin, and later praised for his work in singer Jane Monheit’s band as well as for collaborations with the likes of Brad Mehldau and Ari Hoenig. While this was an impressive resume, something always stood out: he seemed most comfortable performing as a high-level sideman, which he opened up about in an interview (linked below) I did with him in 2021:

“I was never really much of a leader – not beyond the local gigs I was doing in New York. Becoming a leader in the sense of touring and writing my own compositions and learning to do this on a larger scope, that’s come a little later and it was never initially my strength.”

The subject of that interview was his album The Bright Side. It was a strong debut recording for his trio with American bassist Dan Loomis and Canadian drummer Ernesto Cervini, a group he had been playing in for several years up to that point. Though aged 51 at the time of release and already well established, he seemed to find a more assertive and individual voice as a leader, particularly as far as listeners outside New York City were concerned.

Lumination, their follow-up release, builds on many of the best elements from The Bright Side. The track listing, comprised of ten originals, follows the same outline as before: a couple of groove tunes (“Disco Nern” & “False Spring”), a Frahm contrafact (“Kern You Dig It?”), a Cervini blues called “The Nurse is In” with plenty of swing and more. A few tunes stand out, like Frahm’s ballad “Moonface Lament” and “Vesper Flights” by Loomis, but there is nothing radically different from before and there probably doesn’t need to be. These tunes are strong, unpretentious vehicles for the performers, many of which manage to convey a healthy sense of humour. 

Above all, the playing is what makes Lumination special. Frahm remains an exceptional technician of his instrument, but equally impressive is how he develops his ideas during improvisations; a masterclass in motivic development. Quotations have also become a signature of his solos, with the most blatant here a reference to Charlie Parker’s “My Little Suede Shoes” at the beginning of the trading on “Loo-Lee”. This kind of gimmick was used to maximum effect by Sonny Rollins, but Frahm is certainly the modern master. The playing of Cervini and Loomis suits the saxophonist to a tee, providing him with an elite foundation. Both also give engaging and, when appropriate, sensitive performances throughout.

If the headline of The Bright Side was Frahm’s emphatic arrival as a bandleader, the story of Lumination is the evolution of this trio’s rapport as a unit from one release to the next. Whether subtlely exchanging ideas within the ensemble or brazenly quoting a well-known tune during a solo, these guys always sound like they are having fun. They establish great moods which helps listeners relate even to playing as advanced as that on this album. Joel Frahm and his trio have an outstanding collective voice and now have one more album that proves it.

UK audiences can catch them live as part of their European tour next week (full details below). 

Lumination European Tour Dates & UK Booking Links:

• Saturday, 28 September – Herr Nilsen (Oslo, Norway)
• Sunday, 29 September – Bimhuis (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
• Monday, 30 September – Pizza Express (London, UK)
• Tuesday, 1 October – The Moldy Fig (Eastleigh, UK)
• Thursday, 3 October – Seven Arts Leeds (Leeds, UK)
• Friday, 4 October – Salon de Jazz (Cologne, Germany)
• Saturday, 5 October – Jazz in der Mitte (Reutlingen, Germany)
• Sunday, 6 October – Neimënster (Luxembourg City, Luxembourg)

LINKS: Pre-Order Lumination on Bandcamp
INTERVIEW from 2022 by Charles Rees: The Joel Frahm Trio – ‘The Bright Side’ tour