JESSICA JONES QUARTET

EDIBLE FLOWERS

Reva Records

Jessica jones & Tony Jones, tenor saxophone; Stomu Takeishi, bass; Deszon Claiborne, drums.

Jessica Jones is an exciting and original tenor-saxophonist. She always shares solos that are spontaneous, creative, and plush with unexpected moments.  She and her husband, Tony Jones, are featured in a piano-less quartet.  This is the sixth album release for the Jones’s, and it does not disappoint.

They open with “Manhattan” an original composition by Jessica Jones.  The two tenor players introduce us to the energetic melody, while Stomu Takeishi stomps out the rhythm on his bass, locked tightly instep with drummer, Deszon Claiborne.

I’m captivated by “Bird’s Word,” a Connie Crothers tune.  There are fluid solos by the tenor players, with Takeishi walking with determination beneath their solos on his bass and Claiborne, (an in-demand Northern California drummer), powerful and exciting as he drives the tune forward. Sometimes the two horns play one descant against the other.  They explore a friendly horn conversation, that sounds like two love birds communicating. It’s a mixture of avant-garde, free jazz and their creative interpretation of the composition. I enjoy Jessica’s tune, “No Relation/Just Us.”

These tunes represent strong melodies that this quartet brings to the table.  Their song choices are delicious. Tony Jones arranged the Jackie McLean tune “Little Melonas.”  I enjoy this tune immensely. “Higher Than” is a tune pushed by funk and percussive drive. It’s quite contemporary

Jessica Jones has worked with various jazz ensembles throughout the years, as well as playing Haitian music, Caribbean and African music.  She has performed with great Avant-garde players like Joseph Jarman, Don Cherry, and Cecil Taylor.  Tony Jones has also collaborated with those players, as well as Peter Apfelbaum, who he began playing with when he was only fourteen years old. Tony Jones has led his own quartet as well, called “Pitch, Rhythm & Consciousness Quartet.” Both husband and wife share the arrangement duties on this album.  They are inventive and always offer exploratory music that pushes the boundaries and paints colors outside the box.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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