African Skies (feat. Gary Thomas)

Modernistic acoustic jazz pianist Joel Holmes makes no bones about showcasing his inspiration, stemming from McCoy Tyner via his fleet single note runs, heavy hitting left hand bass chords, and modalities straight out of the '60s. Tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas, himself a John Coltrane devotee, works in tandem with Holmes in this program of originals and covers unashamedly influenced by the "Impulse" label-bred post-bop continuum. Three of the pieces are penned by Holmes, with an Asian traditional adaptation, a standard, and a Herbie Hancock evergreen tossed in for good measure. But this is pretty much a Coltrane album the grand master might have done today were he alive. There are twists and turns, like incorporating a string quartet, violin, or flute soloists and distinct Afro-Cuban incursions. While the derivations are obvious, the spirit of the various groupings is fresh and palpable, conjured by some honest feelings and definite virtuoso excursions though clever options employed. Of the originals penned by Holmes, the title track in 7/8 time, and "Fatima" with the string section combining progressive jazz and Latin aspects, while the pianist plays solo with quick, scattered phrases à la Tyner on "Soliloquy of Troubled Waters." Further digging into the recognizable techniques Tyner has employed, two takes of the hard bop steamer "Impressions," along with single versions of "Mr. P.C." and "Moment's Notice" are performed with fire and precision. Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" is somewhat standard fare, excepting the additional conga intro from Themba Mikhatshwa, a 5/4 instead of 4/4 beat and Cuban flavoring. Throughout, Thomas flows with the grace and passion Coltrane always displayed, sounding quite focused and lyrical. The trio alone performs in a more Bill Evans type languidity for "Summer Night," while "Chinese Fishing Song" is led by violinist Chia Yin Holmes, as a beautiful floating melody imbues the piece with light yellows and greens in a lilting waltz. Clearly a starting point for Holmes, it will be interesting to see where he takes this music upon further excursions. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi