Koppel Colley Blade Collective: “Perspective” (2023) CD Review

In 2017, Benjamin Koppel, Scott Colley and Brian Blade released an album titled Collective, and are known as Koppel Colley Blade Collective, or KCB Collective. The trio formed in 2012, with all three talented and experienced members contributing material. All three are band leaders, having released many of their own albums, as well has having worked with a wide variety of artists, in the studio and on the road, both in and outside of the jazz realm. In 2022, Benjamin Koppel released one of that year’s most interesting albums, Anna’s Dollhouse, which tells the story of his aunt, who had to flee Nazi-occupied Denmark. The trio’s latest release, Perspective, features all original material.

The album opens with “Alphabet Thief,” a title that I find both delightful and intriguing. As it begins, it has a cool vibe, with a bit of a mysterious air. We feel like we are following this particular character on his nightly escapade, Scott Colley’s bass and Brian Blade’s drums establishing the atmosphere, and Benjamin Koppel’s alto saxophone taking on the persona of this thief. A minute and a half in, things slow down, get a little darker, a little more mysterious, which has the effect of pulling us in, and perhaps we even hold our breath as we wonder just what this guy is up to, and what will happen to him. There is a slight pause, and the drums then lead us into the next section. And then we are with this character as he slinks around. Things are all right. He is in control, determining the pace and the action. The music is then as delightful as the track’s title. This piece was composed by Benjamin Koppel, who, as you might already know, is the son of Anders Koppel.

“Alphabet Thief” is followed by “Coconino County,” also written by Benjamin Koppel. This one takes us into an interesting territory immediately. The county, by the way, is located in Arizona and includes the Grand Canyon. Yet interestingly, this piece has an intimate vibe. Its scope feels tighter, closer, more immediate, and the track features some really nice work by Scott Colley on bass. That area of Arizona is beautiful, certainly, but not nearly as cool as this track. I love when things get loose nearly halfway through, particularly that stuff on drums, which holds a lot of the piece’s appeal. Then the saxophone takes the focus and keeps us in that interesting territory, almost like a guide through the cool and odd areas as well as an integral part of it. Then “Precipice,” written by Scott Colley, begins in shadows, in the deeper, darker places where things are not certain or safe. Soon it feels a like a red sun quickly rises, changing the landscape, eliminating the actual darkness, through that feeling of darkness, of uncertainty remains. There is then a short pause, now that the place and atmosphere have been established, and the saxophone becomes the focus, a somewhat lonesome character in this place. A character that is familiar with the terrain, at home here, especially now that the light makes the details and activity visible, but it still retains a lonesome vibe.

I never mastered Rubik’s Cube (though I was adept at some of the other similar games, like Rubik’s Snake and Whip-It, which were much easier), so I learned to take it apart and put it back together as if the puzzle had been solved. In the very first moments of “Speed Cubing Rubiks,” the music comes at a fast pace, but then it soon slows a bit, perhaps quickly realizing this wouldn’t be as easy as initially thought. There is a sense of patience for a time, and then things break down as the saxophone expresses some frustration. And then suddenly, things start to fly, to click, the bass rushing along. However, it isn’t long before things slow again, leading to a good bass solo, and from there settling into a cool theme. This piece was composed by Benjamin Koppel. That’s followed by “37.33 Seconds,” which begins with percussion. It has a gentle vibe, sounding as if at some distance, perhaps a cauldron bubbling. Then as the bass comes in, we are brought closer to the action. There is a tentative, moody feel to this piece. Toward the end, it takes on a more solid groove, though with an air of melancholy. This one was composed by Scott Colley.

“Imaginary Canvas” features some pretty and moving work on saxophone, with a contemplative air. I love that lead on bass approximately halfway through the track, but it is that section toward the end where the drums roll and rumble beneath the more reflective sound of the saxophone that I love most about this track. This one was written by Benjamin Koppel. That’s followed by “For Sy Johnson,” also composed by Benjamin Koppel. Sy Johnson, the jazz composer and pianist known for his work with Charles Mingus, died in the summer of 2022. The bass introduces a feeling of some urgency as this one begins, and there is something of a serious nature to this piece. The bass then becomes freer, and the drums soon follow, which I love. But it is when the saxophone gets loose that this track really hits its stride, at least to my ears. Then “Don’t Rise” opens with some wonderful and rather moving work on bass, and it isn’t until more than a minute into the track that the others enter. This track some gorgeous work on saxophone. It was composed by Scott Colley. The album then concludes with a relatively short piece composed by all three musicians, “After Time,” which has a light, loose, somewhat playful vibe.

CD Track List

1. Alphabet Thief
2. Coconino County
3. Precipice
4. Speed Cubing Rubiks
5. 37.33 Seconds
6. Imaginary Canvas
7. For Sy Johnson
8. Don’t Rise
9. After Time

Perspective was released on CD on July 17, 2023, and on vinyl on September 22, 2023.