For her seventh album, saxophonist Melissa Aldana returned to the source, or one of them, at least, of her passion for jazz: the late, great Wayne Shorter. Inspired not only by his faith in her – Shorter sat on the judges panel at the Thelonious Monk Jazz Saxophone International Competition she won back in 2013 – but by his way of making popular mainstream jazz into a personal statement, Aldana decided that Echoes of the Inner Prophet should reflect her own journey to where she is now. The titles do more than hint at that odyssey – cf. “A Story,” “A Purpose,” “The Solitary Seeker.” But it’s the music itself that drives the point home – no matter how much room Aldana leaves for improvisation, the melodies and song structures move forward with an accessible, narrative drive. Check out her lush but frisky “Unconscious Whispers” and introspective “Cone of Silence” (dedicated to esteemed jazz engineer and mixer James Farber, who also does the honors here), or guitarist Lage Lund’s thoughtful “I Know You Know.” It doesn’t hurt that she fronts an excellent band, with co-conspirator Lund, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist Pablo Menares, and drummer Kush Abadey in full support of her vision. Aldana is one of the most celebrated young jazz artists around right now, and Echoes of the Inner Prophet tells a tale that explains why.
