Jumpin' Off

One of contemporary jazz's popular sax men, Richard Elliot has also been one of the genre's most self-sufficient. In Paul Brown, Elliot made the perfect decision for his first collaboration with an outside producer, both sonically, creatively and - with an eye towards keeping himself viable in an ever changing marketplace - commercially. The result of this collaboration, Jumpin' Off lives up to its title; this easy going, slow sizzling set is very different from his usual aggressive style, with tunes that slowly develop, rather than explode in your face. His longtime fans will have no trouble taking the leap of faith. "Contents under pressure" might be a good way to describe many of the tracks. Elliot's trademark has always been about searing, gritty intensity and high and low dynamics, grabbing hold of a note and pushing it higher, then holding it for seconds at a time before reaching back down for the lower register. But on free flowing ballads like "One Last Kiss" and "All Night," he holds back and caresses the notes, rather than attack them. Jumpin' Off is a must have.