Lotus Blossom

Dave Young

Lotus Blossom Featuring – Renee Rosnes, Written-By – Billy Strayhorn
Modinha Featuring – Reg Schwager, Renee Rosnes Written By – Antonio Carlos Jobim
Red Cross Featuring – Reg Schwager Written-By – Charlie Parker
Fried Bananas, Featuring – Reg Schwager Written-By – Dexter Gordon
Bolivia Featuring – Bernie Senensky Written-By – Cedar Walton
I Thought About You Featuring – Bernie Senensky Written-By – Jimmy Van Heusen
Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise Featuring – Kevin Turcotte, Perry White Written-By – Sigmund Romberg

Bass – Dave Young (3)
Design [Cover] – Andrea Occhipinti
Drums – Terry Clarke
Guitar – Reg Schwager

Liner Notes, Producer – Roberto Occhipinti
Mastered By – Peter Letros
Photography By – John Osler
Piano – Bernie Senensky (tracks: 5, 6), Renee Rosnes (tracks: 1, 2)
Recorded By, Mixed By – John Bailey
Tenor Saxophone – Perry White (tracks: 7)
Trumpet – Kevin Turcotte (tracks: 7)
Released on May 12, 2016 in Toronto.

Lotus Blossom is a fine disc that was recorded immediately after One Way Up, the acclaimed previous album by Dave Young and his band. I enjoy hearing these top Canadian jazz artists in fine form, interacting and supporting each other with spontaneity and precision. At the centre is distinguished acoustic bassist Dave Young, whose playing I would not label a harmonic and rhythmic foundation because from high-up thumb position to the lowest bass tones his style is so melodic. In Dexter Gordon’s Fried Bananas, his solo is richly lyrical, followed by the fluent playing of guitarist Reg Schwager. Terry Clarke accompanies with a wet cymbal wash preceding his own dry turn on the theme. On the jazz waltz title track, Young’s plaintive bass and Clarke’s cross-rhythms are affecting for me while pianist Renee Rosnes displays a mastery of touch and tone, creating a pensive, languorous mood in dragging the tune’s return. The tasty interplay between Schwager and her on Modinha, along with Clarke’s playful drumming and Young’s convincing solo, make this track a highlight.

By contrast to Rosnes, pianist Bernie Senensky’s energetic style on Bolivia and I Thought About You is chord-rich, with blazing riffs and hard swinging in the latter that evoke Oscar Peterson (who Dave Young played with regularly). Finally, trumpeter Kevin Turcotte and tenor saxophonist Perry White join in with able two-part counterpoint on Softly as in a Morning Sunrise. Highly recommended.