Collage

Album review

Christine Jensen's debut recording as a leader is an impressive session, recruiting a group of fellow Canadians with older sister Ingrid on trumpet and flugelhorn, keyboardist Brad Turner, tenor saxist Joel Miller, bassist Fraser Hollins, and drummer Karl Jannuska. Only thirty years old at the time of its release, Jensen shows a surprising maturity as a composer and arranger, with potent compositions ranging from the turbulent "A La Jay" to the rhapsodic "Sylvan Vale" and the playful "Sweet Adelphi" (the latter a showcase for the leader on soprano sax). "Summer Night," the sole standard on the date, was adapted by Jensen from a Renee Rosnes arrangement, an introspective look at a familiar chestnut in a new light. Tom Harrell's "Duet" is a stunning duet by the two sisters, a superb performance seemingly tossed off effortlessly in spite of its demanding nature, segueing immediately into the leader's tense "Marsh Blues" to wrap the date. Highly recommended!

© Ken Dryden /TiVo