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review by Bill Binkelman Anytime you have Will Ackerman (founder of Windham Hill Records) vouching for you, music reviewers will pay attention. I was into just the first minute of trumpet player Jeff Oster's new EP, At Last, and I didn't need Mr. Ackerman's endorsement to reinforce that here was a very talented guy. Oster, who also plays flugelhorn, a little synth and percussion, in addition to trumpet, is accompanied on the EP by some major talent, including Philip Aaberg (synthesizer), Happy Rhodes (vocals), Charlie Bisharat (violin), T-Bone Wolk (guitars and bass) and the estimable Mr. Ackerman himself (guitar, natch'). There are few others in the mix, too. With that crew, dear reader, you should be clued in that this is not your garden variety EP. Okay, so you know I love the music, but what does it sound like? Well, there are four tracks on the EP (about twenty minutes total). "Matt's Mood" starts things off with a mellow rhythmic blend of mild electronica (courtesy of tasty synthesizer textures and superb drum programming) and jazzy horn work by Oster (after the bridge, Jeremy Mendocino contributes some nice guitar work, too). The trumpet is nicely echoed as it floats over the beats and the synths. Happy Rhodes' vocals are of the wordless type, although Ms. Rhodes (whom it was wonderful to hear from again) is no mere "filler" vocalist, in case you're aren't familiar with her amazing voice. Next up is "Big Sur," ushered in by neo-classical violin from Bisharat; but Wolk's laid-back guitar soon melds into muted slow tempo ambient beats and liquid synths, eventually joined by Oster's soulful trumpet, painting a serene yet jazzy soundscape. The music is evocative of a drive through the beautiful area along the Pacific coast of the song's title. While I enjoy every track on At Last, this is probably my favorite; it has such a great sense of gentle movement to it, via the combination of unforced rhythms and Oster's multi-tracked horn work. "Haleakala" is closest to an ambient sensibility of the EP's four songs, although Rhodes' soulful vocalizings and Oster's trumpet elevate the moody musical stylings of Aaberg's synths and the chugging beats of Bryan Carrigan's drum programming beyond mere Eno-esque territory. Rhodes takes her voice into ethereal wordless soundscape territory in the bridge and darker tinted synths emerge from there to color the track in shades of violet and gray. Nice! Rounding out the CD is the short title song. Ackerman makes his guest appearance on this piece - a sparse, minimal tone poem featuring plaintive acoustic guitar, trumpet, vocals, and bass. Reminiscent of earlier recordings from Ackerman's original label (Windham Hill), this is the gentlest and "prettiest" song here, graced by Oster's use of trumpet muting (only for part of the song, though). It's an interesting juxtaposition to marry the muted trumpet with the acoustic guitar, so that the usual jazz characteristic of the trumpet's sound is deflected into something more reflective and even pastoral. I've written it time and time again about good EPs - when an EP leaves you wanting more, it's a solid indication just how good it is. In the case of At Last, I was sad to hear it end so soon (of course, I just hit "play" again and started over). While the music on the CD is hard to pigeonhole into a single genre, it's remarkably easy for me to highly recommend it. |
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