Trumpeter/composer Adam O’Farill can’t make a move with being compared to his lineage. It is indeed impressive: son of pianist/composers Arturo O’Farrill and Alison Deane, grandson of legendary Afro-Cuban music pioneer Chico O’Farrill. (Got it out of the way. Whew!) Fifteen years into his career, however, O’Farrill’s family line matters less than his imagination when it comes to the music he makes.
Elephant – his fifth album as a leader – makes this clear. As both a composer and a player, O’Farrill is respectful of tradition, but he’s not hidebound to it. He’d much rather take the elements he likes from hard bop, post bop, fusion, Latin jazz, and ECM-style atmospherics, run them through the filter of his own creativity, and come up with something that has hints of familiarity while sounding only like himself. Opener “Curves and Convolutions” sets the pace, with an angular rhythm that lets the musicians play around the beat without going off on individual tangents. The urgent tuneful thrust of “Thank You Song” builds energy without melodramatic climaxes or showboating solos. “Herkimer Diamond” adds an upbeat vibe and a playful edge to its swirling melodic roil.
As his most ambitious move, O’Farrill treats listeners to a pair of epic compositions. The three-part “Sea Triptych” practically defines exploratory jazz, traversing the map with engaging rhythms, strong melodies, stirring solos, and electronic spice. By contrast, “The Return” explores mood more than sound, shifting from languorous to frenetic and back, with dips into all points in between. He’s aided in these earnest endeavors by a crack band: bassist Walter Stinson, drummer Russell Holzman, and keyboardist/MVP Yvonne Rogers, all of whom bring their own personalities to their performances while bringing their leader’s vision to bright, shining light. Between the players’ respective powers and O’Farrill’s clear-eyed conception, Elephant emerges a contender for any top ten list of jazz albums this year.
