JERRY KALAF

SAFE TRAVELS

Independent Label

Jerry Kalaf, drums/composer; Tom Ranier, piano; Trey Henry, bass; Sabrina Tabby & Jinty McTavish, violins; Erin Rafferty, viola; Genevieve Tabby, cello; Doug Walter, co-producer/arranger/orchestrator.

This album unites an inspired trio of Southern California jazz musicians with a tight-knit group of string players. Together, they bring lushness to these arrangements. All eight of the songs on this album were composed by drummer, Jerry Kalaf.  I found each one to be quite melodic, beginning with a tune called “263 Beacon” that pays homage to Kalaf’s former Boston apartment address.

Each song that Kalaf has written encapsulates a fond memory.  For example, “Another Summer” endeavors to paint, with musical notes, a humid, upstate New York afternoon.  Tom Ranier’s piano provides the melody with a beautiful use of the treble piano keys pirouetting above the lovely string lines, and the Latin groove that both Trey Henry on bass and Kalaf on drums thread through the arrangement holds the groove tightly in place. When Trey Henry steps into the spotlight to showcase his bass skills, the arrangement takes on a change of face, where the groove drops out.  But at Henry’s solo completion, the Latin rhythms return, inspiring the dancer in me.

“At the End of the Day” is a tune that brings a sense of reflection along with its pretty melody, enhanced by the string section.  It makes for a beautiful soundtrack. This original music by Jerry Kalaf is quite beautiful and reflects peace and quiet meditation.  His co-producer (Doug Walter) adds rich orchestration that highlights this music in surprising and harmonically beautiful ways.

A song he titles “Bailing” is based on complex chord changes and employs surprising rhythm shifts. His drumsticks tap dance across the drum skins. Suddenly, the tune moves from pensive and meditative to Straight-ahead.  Trey Henry takes a bass solo, trading fours with the Jerry Kalaf drums. This tune is quite creative, with tempo changes, musical solos, and an unpredictable arrangement. Clearly, on this tune Jerry Kalaf is pushing the boundaries of jazz composition.  He loves creating music that inspires his fellow musicians, as well as his attentive audiences.

Another tune called “Perspectives” races Straight-ahead into my listening room.  Of course, I think to myself, a drummer would compose something with shifting time signatures and a pumped-up trio presentation. The song is wrapped like a baby in a bunting, with the softness of the string quartet.  Along with his trio partners, this current album explores Kalaf’s composing skills, interpreted in a chamber music kind of groove, with the able assistance of ATLYS, (a Chicago-based string quartet). United, they bring solid, tasteful, beautiful jazz to our ears, with a nod towards Chamber music.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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