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Adam Kolker Reflects
Assembling A Jazz Ensemble With A Personal Touch.
Sometimes, creativity simply means using someone else’s blueprints just the right way. Adam Kolker’s new release puts this theory to the test. Reflections doesn’t focus on bringing a wave of original compositions. However, it does bring others’ scores new energy through sharp performances from carefully-chosen arrangements, played by even more carefully chosen artists. The album is designed as a showcase of the talents of Kolker and his closest colleagues in the jazz world, and it shows.
“I wanted to do a recording with my friends – both musical and personal.” Adam Kolker says, speaking of the album’s star-studded list of guests. Kolker used two decades of career contacts to build a varied cast. Guest performances include John Abercrombie on guitar, Russ Lossing on piano, and the vocal talents of Judi Silvano and Kay Matsukawa. The shifting ensemble of Reflections grew from duets and trios that Kolker simply couldn’t keep contained. “I knew recording with them would be the easiest, most natural thing in the world. And it was.”
At a glance, this attitude contains a potential hint of self-indulgence. But the final product is poised to quash this concern. Kolker’s time as a hybrid composer and saxophonist certainly seems to have provided ample opportunity to build a gallery of perfect connections. Kolker certainly has made a name for himself since his arrival on the scene in the mid-nineties. Alongside playing a key role in the late Ray Barretto’s New World Spirit ensemble, Kolker’s led his own groups to success. 2008 saw the release of the critically acclaimed Flag Day, providing a bar for Kolker and company to try to vault over.
Kolker creates variety not only through his choice of guests, but through shifting his own role on Reflections. Though primarily known for his saxophone skills, Kolker demonstrates fluency on flute and clarinet as well. Moreover, his compositions share space with both jazz standards and pieces by his guest artists. From a three-man arrangement Thelonious Monk’s “Let’s Call This” to the smooth “Flight” by guest drummer Billy Mintz, Reflections makes room for a wealthy array of influences. If Kolker’s efforts to convert camaraderie into creative energy sound like a gem to you, then Sunnyside Records has your number.
Available here.