On the Verge

On the Verge comes eight years after Unity and a full decade since Adonis Rose's debut Song for Donise. Rose recorded this, his third album, in 2004. In the album's liner notes, he said that, at the time of the recording, he felt he was "on the verge of doing something new and creative." The product doesn't sound like a musician on the precipice of any great musical breakthrough; instead, it's a string of solid straight-ahead tracks and pleasant, contemporary mid-tempo tunes. Rose's chops, however, have seasoned and his writing (he penned four of the eight cuts) has tightened. He brought his crew — trumpeter Nicholas Payton saxophonist Tim Warfield and bassist Reuben Rogers — with him, too. Only Anthony Wonsey is missing from the former quintet that toured and recorded extensively together. Payton, Warfield and Rogers use this familiarity to turn in stalwart performances where the entertainment is found in the interplay between old friends, since there aren't many virtuoso solos or theatrics on this date. An otherwise pedestrian straight-ahead album, however, is sparked by the addition of Warren Wolf on vibes, adding an interesting texture to many of the songs; and pianist Aaron Goldberg, who not only takes several expressive solos, but brought "Shed" to the session. Here, Rogers cuts down on the bass-walking and supplies a slick groove that Warfield, Payton and Goldberg take for short, efficient solos before Rose takes his turn and unleashes on the drums. The title track is some good ol' nouveau hard bop, with each musician playing as fast and furious as they can. This album is good, but not great, jazz, and since Rose hasn't appeared on any recordings in the past three years, one can only speculate as to whether whatever he was on the verge of in 2004 has come to musical fruition.