Matt Wilson

Good Trouble

Palmetto

Drummer and composer Matt Wilson takes inspiration from the words of late Civil Rights Congressman John Lewis and the occasion of his 60th birthday to form a new quintet. Good Trouble doubles as the name of Wilson’s fourteenth album as a leader on Palmetto Records and for his newly christened quintet. Longtime collaborator saxophonist and clarinetist Jeff Lederer is joined on the front line by altoist Tia Fuller. Wilson welcomes rhythm mates, bassist Ben Allison and pianist/vocalist Dawn Clement. Those familiar with Wilson recognize his versatility, deep knowledge of jazz tradition and his ability to play both ‘in’ and ‘out’. He is gregarious, witty, and generous too. For example, since the pandemic, he’s invited audiences into his own backyard for the annual Avant Yarde Jazz Festival. This most accessible album has both the ‘in’ and ‘out.’ Heck, there’s even a cover of a John Denver tune, which might be a first for jazz album. (check me on that) That song is sandwiched between compositions of Ornette Coleman and Gary Bartz. That may be all you need to know about ‘in’ and ‘out.’ To reinforce that notion, the album is dedicated to Carla Bley, Geri Allen, Ron Miles, and Frank Kimbrough.

The dedication to Lewis, though, goes far beyond the mere two words, Good Trouble. The centerpiece of the project is the three-part “Good Trouble Suite,” written in the aftermath of the passing of Rep. Lewis and Supreme Court Justice Rath Bader Ginsburg. Lederer expanded and arranged the suite in preparation for a performance by a high school ensemble in Kansas. In the wake of recent events and this upcoming Presidential Election, we could use the voices of Lewis and Ginsburg more than ever. Lest we digress, opener “RBG” is for the late justice, a exhilarating upbeat tune with Fuller, Lederer soaring above the gleeful rhythm section, a joyful run from Clement, culminating with chants of “honor her plea/serve your community.’’ The quintet is so enlivened here that the quintet amasses the power of a big band. They then take a deep pause and move to the delicate “Walk with the Wind,” a play on the title of Lewis’s 1968 autobiography, Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement. The reeds are fervent, almost gospel-like, and Wilson’s own solo is reflective of the steady, resilient stance of the marchers. The final “Good Trouble” is like a big tent celebration, raucous and exhilarating.

Aside from the suite, the album kicks off with punchy bop of Wilson’s “Fireplace,” a nod to Geri Allen with pianist Clement dazzling in her singular up-and-down notes. Lederer and Fuller play in customary unleashed fashion. Lederer has long been a fierce devotee of Albert Ayler, so his bluesy “Albert’s Alley” honors the legendary saxophonist with a pair of heated solos. The vocal ballad “Be That As It May” gives Clement a chance to sing beautifully in the upper registers in a tune penned by one of Wilson’s students, Akhito Gorai, at the New School in New York.

Following the suite, we hear that unusual trio of covers, beginning with Coleman’s “Feet Music,” apropos given the album theme and clearly in the quintet’s wheelhouse with its angularity and off-kilter groove highlighted by a robust, spirited exchange between Wilson and Allison. The Denver tune, “Sunshine on My Shoulders” is another vocal performance from Clement, breathy and tender on this turn, which, of course, considering the solos from Lederer and Fuller as well, to these ears blows the original away.  The quintet then jumps back into the deep end for a white-hot rendering of Gary Bartz’s “Libra.”  Wilson closes the program with the jaunty, infectious “CommUnity Spirit,” a terrific summation of this uplifting album, one where one easily hears the smiles and sheer joy of the musicians coming through their instruments.

Let’s hope that Wilson and his bandmates carry on this lively spirit into Wilson’s seventh decade. Happy Birthday.

• Jim Hynes

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