JURE PUKL — Doubtless (review)

Album · 2018 · 21st Century Modern

4/5 · 2018-10-02
Matt

European Jure Pukl has been getting quite a few accolades lately as one of the new Jazz innovators with a different modern approach to Jazz which is evident within his latest release “Doubtless” with the compositions included and the playing of the two saxophones from himself and Melissa Aldana in conjunction at various times throughout the album’s compositions. This current album from the prolific saxophonist is the fifth under his leadership in the last eight years with his prior being ‘Hybrid” which was released last year in 2017. He is also known for not sticking to one particular style of Jazz by taking on most forms with Avante Garde, Post Bop and Fusion being just three examples within his own releases not his mention his many appearances as a sideman with quite a few of Jazz’s well known names such as Maceo Parker, Esperanza Spalding, Vijay Iyer, Jeremy Pelt and Aaron Goldberg just to name a few. Melissa Aldana the other tenor saxophonist from Chile is no slouch either and she has been gaining quite a reputation for herself with four albums of her own with two being her Crash Trio and even picked up The Thelonious Monk award in 2013 being the first South American artist to win it. Also present within the album’s quartet is Joe Sanders on Bass having played with quite a few luminaries such as Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove, Charles Lloyd, Herbie Hancock with a longer list to add and we also have Gregory Hutchinson drumming who has been at it quite a while now since starting in the late eighties with another extensive list of his own a mile long bringing us to quite an experienced band for this current new release of Jure Pukl’s, “Doubtless”.

The album’s title is the first number with a slight touch of Avante inserted between the two saxophonists and the band following in for a call and response interplay between them both with Joe Sanders coming in for a brief interlude on bass in this interesting opening number. It is with the next composition “Doves (for my Mother)” where we have a conjunction with both saxophonists playing the opening together within this lovely more relaxed composition with the conjunction coming back each time for the theme and Gregory Sander’s bass following for another delightful solo. Gregory Hutchinson’s drumming has quite a distinct input of his own bringing a statement within this track as well as every other one included within the album. It is more co-play for “Intersong” with the following “Eliote” bringing back that saxophone conjunction and Joe Sanders to the fore. “Compassion” bears a ballad and introspective feel to the number with plenty of space for quite a nice dreamy feel. The remaining four compositions still keep up a high degree of interest in “Elsewhere”, “The Mind And The Soul”, “Where Are You Coming From?” and finishing up with more of that delightful sax conjunction in “Bad Year-Good Year”.

It is different with something new to hear and an album I sought out myself due to that fact and it is not only the saxophone co-play which is only present at times but the mix of styles inserted within the compositions bringing a touch of Bop and the Avante in amongst it all. Something new and original is what I am always chasing and albeit it does get harder over the years with so many ideas covered Jure Pukl has managed to come up with it for us listeners in an interesting and delightful manner within this current release. I for one will be keeping my eye out for his future albums. Good stuff!