Nate Kimball - Warrior's Journey

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Nate Kimball - Warrior’s Journey
2012, TNC RecordingsIf you’re looking for the next big name in jazz, youmight be very happy to settle on Nate Kimball. His list of credits is impressive: Chick Correa, Natalie Cole, BarryManilow, The Count Basie Orchestra, Jessica Simpson and The Killers, to namebut a few.  The 28-year old Las Vegasnative is more than just a wizard with the trombone however; Kimball is acomposer nonpareil who has been recognized by the International TromboneAssociation (2006, 2007, and 2010); the Reno Jazz Festival (2012); and theNevada Jazz Society (2007).  One of hiscompositions, “Side Effect”, was recently premiered at the Monterrey JazzFestival by the Las Vegas Academy Jazz Ensemble.  You’ll see why the accolades rain down onKimball after listening to his album Warrior’sJourney.  Kimball recorded Warrior’sJourney with four impressive cohorts. Joe Lano (guitar) has played with Lena Horne, Mel Tormé, Steve Lawrenceand Eydie Gorme, Nancy Wilson and Henry Mancini.  Brian Triola (piano/keys) is part of LasVegas and regional favorites Moksha. Bassist Steve Flora plays the top rooms in Las Vegas, and drummer LarryAberman has recorded with The Vaughan Brothers, Ric Ocasek, Wynton Marsalis,David Lee Roth, Daniel Lanois, Lionel Richie and Danielle Brisebois (to namejust a few).  This will give you an ideaof the quality of play on Warrior’sJourney, but mere words don’t do the album justice.Kimball sticks to classic jazz stylings, allowingthe occasional progressive wave to pass through the waters.  It’s easy to see Kimball and crew fittinginto any era of jazz from the Big Band era on. Kimball kicks things off with “Warrior’s Journey”, beginning as a sleepyrumination but moving soon into a quietly energetic jazz waltz.  Kimball’s trombone is stellar, but the restof the quintet is flawless as well.  BrianTriola adds perfect punctuation to Kimball’s lead, and whips off some amazingsolos of his own.  Perhaps the mostimpressive part of the song, however, is when Larry Aberman takes the lead ondrums.  If you want to analyze what he’sdoing you’ll need a couple of cameras and the ability to slow tape onplayback.  It’s amazing. “Way Station” shows the same sort of breakdown ofduties, with Kimball taking the lead, but passing it around for all toshare.  What’s most impressive is howseamlessly Kimball’s quintet moves together, never seeming to miss a beat or anexchange.  “Far Away” has a distinctive,melancholy, blue-jazz feel.  Kimballbrings emotions alive in the lyric trombone lines, while Brian Triola creates abit of rhythmic dissonance that helps to appropriately shade the mood.  There is magic here.  “Road To La Coruna” takes a on a subtle Latinjazz sound, and features some of the best low-key work on the album.  Things get a bit more progressive on “HelloWorld”, with Kimball himself getting aggressive in his soloing style.  Triola picks up this vibe and runs with it,getting into a Vince Guaraldi groove that’s mellow yet not.  “Back Home” is an interesting closer.  You might say the ensemble play is a bitlooser here, as Kimball et. al. look to push the boundaries with someoff-the-cuff and speed-based solos.Nate Kimball shows his worth as a composer,bandleader and musician on Warrior’sJourney.  With a killer supportingcast, and some of the best original jazz of 2012, Kimball challenges the worldof modern jazz with a traditional-leaning album that reinvigorates the art formthe way artists like Miles Davis, J.J. Johnson, Dizzy Gillespie and HarryConnick, Jr. have done before him. Thirty years from now you’ll hear jazz aficionados discussing Kimball inthe same reverent tones.Rating:4.5 Stars (Out of 5)