Ism

About

Having worked with everyone from the storied Art Ensemble of Chicago to young Chicago artists including Makaya McCraven and Marquis Hill, bassist Junius Paul has established his fluency in a wide range of jazz settings. On his double-album debut, <i>Ism</i>, he brings his own musical mission into focus in a wisely curated set of encounters captured between 2016 and 2019 (Paul and McCraven share producer credit). The music is full of spontaneity and experimentation, whether it’s a short episode like “View From the Moon” or “Georgia” or an album-side-length foray as expansive as “Spocky Chainsey Has Re-Emerged” (launched into the stratosphere by the seductive Rhodes of Justin Dillard). “Paris,” another longer track, finds Paul in contemplative groove communion with McCraven and Hill, while “Fred Anderson and a Half,” named for the late Chicago tenor player and mentor to so many, brings Paul into mysterious dialogue with cellist Tomeka Reid and drummer Isaiah Spencer. For a good sample of Paul’s considerable bass chops, try the extended cadenza of “Asé.”

via Apple Music