JOSH LAWRENCE — And That Too (review)

JOSH LAWRENCE — And That Too album cover Album · 2023 · Hard Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Steve Wyzard
RETRO COVERS

Drawn in as I was by Ola Baldych's delightfully retro cover design, no one could have been more surprised than I was to discover a 21st Century hard bop masterpiece. Without any form of plagiarism or obvious imitation, And That Too brings the sound of Lee Morgan-era Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers into the modern, post-Jet Age world. This album was recorded in June 2021, but a first-time listener could be graciously forgiven for assuming it was from June 1961, yet with crisp, digital sound/production.

When I first became aware of this release, I was only familiar with one of the two drummers, Jason Tiemann. In 2020, he self-released a phenomenal organ-trio album called T-Man. And That Too features Josh Lawrence on trumpet, Willie Morris III on tenor sax, Art Hirahara on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston drumming on five of the eight tracks. Let it be said here that ALL of these players are true masters of their instruments, which makes this amazing album a true force to be reckoned with. If news about this release reaches influential listeners, these guys will not be residing in virtual anonymity for long.

The album opens with the driving energy of "Grit". Lawrence, Morris, and Hirahara all take formidable solos before a sudden ending. The only cover is Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti", played luminously slow with Lawrence adding a mute. "Cosmological Constant" is ridiculously fast, while "North Winds" is bright and brilliant. The album's true stand-out, "Black Keys", starts with a Hirahara intro before the group joins in for a 1...2...3... cadence. Lawrence's guttural growls make this Louis Armstrong tribute, topped by Royston's exquisite brushwork, a much-too-short stunner. The brisk "Hole in the Wall" is this album's "exploratory" moment before Kozlov's arco playing highlights the muted ballad "Left Hanging". Finally, "Cantus Firmus" becomes a "band showcase" number with fiery trade-offs galore.

You know how successful an album is by how fast it goes by. May I submit that And That Too is one of the fastest 56:30 albums ever recorded? These guys are THAT good. And while skeptics may doubt that anything released in 2023 could be comparable to something from 60 years ago, I challenge one and all to give this album an honest listen and prepare to be blown away. Thank you Posi-Tone Records for putting this one out: it will still be good in 2083!
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