The album's lead track, "The Fifth Floor," opens with an air of mystery, which is kind of a surprise. It pulls us in, for sure, but also puts us on uncertain footing, keeping us curious, keeping us attentive. And then the drumming has a great force, as if determined to drive us farther in, and wanting to do it straight away, which is thrilling. In the middle of the action, this track begins a rather long fadeout. That is followed by "Constellation," which begins to swing, yet also contains something of an unpredictable nature, and that makes it exciting as well as fun. The bass keeps everything in motion, always pushing forward, engaged in a delightful dance. Even that bass lead doesn't slow things down or stray far from its main mission. Then there is an urgency to the rhythm at the beginning of "Follower," a sense of need. After the saxophone comes in, things get a little looser, particularly with the drums.There is still a sense of need, but also something fun about the track. It features a delicious lead on vibraphone, but I especially love the drumming on this one.
Jakob Dreyer changes gears then with "June Tune," which has a mellower feel at the start, yet with the feeling that the musicians are ready for some exploration.There is no rush, no stress; rather, there is something quite soothing about the movement here. Close your eyes, and let this one take you on a relaxing journey. We could all use that right about now, right? And you might find yourself doing a little inward exploration yourself. This track features a good lead on bass that takes us into that magic hour, as the sun begins to set and everything has a glow to it before darkness takes over. That's followed by "Land Of 1000 Blues," a play on "Land Of 1000 Dances," a song that was a hit for Wilson Pickett and others. It's a very short track that comes on fast and is over almost as soon as you realize what the musicians are doing here.
"With A Song In My Heart" is a song that was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the musical Spring Is Here, here delivered with an arrangement by Jakob Dreyer. There is something of a romantic bent to the saxophone work, yet the rhythm has an excitement about it, an energy, so there is an interesting contrast there, helping set this rendition apart from others you've likely heard. When the vibraphone takes over, things are hopping. On the next sax lead, it begins to fly, perhaps feeding on that energy, turning more outward now. That in turn leads to the bass taking over, stepping into some cool territory. When the saxophone returns again, it is to that more thoughtful, romantic place from the beginning. "Bodega" is another incredibly short track, like we are dropped into the middle of a lightly swinging number, which soon fades out (though we get the sense it continues without us). "Downtime" has a more relaxed, introspective vibe at the beginning, with a sense of curiosity as to what might happen, but without a heavy drive one way or another. It's like a dream that pulls us along, offering some insights on the way. It features some really nice work on vibraphone, and a pretty lead on saxophone.
"Fight Or Flight" comes on with a burst of energy, getting us right into the action. As the vibraophone lead starts, less than a minute in, there is a strong sense of movement, especially in the bass work. Things begin to cook, building to a near-frantic feel at one moment, though we are pulled back before going over that particular edge. And the saxophone soon takes over. We take a breath, the briefest of pauses, near the beginning of the sax lead, and then things begin to build again. Here we are treated to a drum solo, which I love. There is some fantastic work. That's followed by "MTA," another short track. Interestingly, each of these short tracks is a little longer than the one before, each one allowing us to get a little more invested before it fades out (though that doesn't hold true for the two short tracks still to come). This one kind of swings.
With "Hold On," it is the saxophone work that we perhaps initially latch onto, for it seems to be offering some comfort, some sympathy, at least in those early moments. And underneath that, the bass and drums offer something different, drawing us in, giving us another sense of things and not letting us settle. The bass leads takes us on its own journey. As the sax comes back in, it returns to those initial moments. That's followed by "Room 1102," an intriguing number, holding some feeling of mystery. There is something spooky here, something mesmerizing. I love this. And check out that drumming. The drums are like the lead instrument here. This track fades out much too soon, less than two minutes in. I would have loved to get more of this.
"Roots And Things," the album's title track, invites us into a different sort of place. It is the saxophone that leads us in, but then the vibraphone that introduces a magical element, a sense of things being less real. There is a sort of beauty in that sensation. I also love the way the next lead on sax concludes, taking us up and leaving us there. Perhaps surprisingly, a wonderful lead on bass immediately follows, that lead walking us through that magic land, helping us find our footing. The drums actually lighten our steps toward the end. This is such an interesting track. It is followed by "Invisible," another short track, actually the shortest track of the disc, just a taste. Then "Big Apple" feels like it's all about its cool groove. It has a great vibe about it, a bit of pop, a bit of funk. It's a track to make us smile, to make us move, featuring some delicious work on drums. The saxophone has a thing or two to say in the second half, and we feel we might learn something there. This track is fun, one of my personal favorites. The album concludes with another of its short tracks, "Choral Diner," this one with quite a different vibe, a different sound, a different mood; a somber, almost spiritual thing.
CD Track List
- The Fifth Floor
- Constellation
- Follower
- June Tune
- Land Of 1000 Blues
- With A Song In My Heart
- Bodega
- Downtime
- Fight Or Flight
- MTA
- Hold On
- Room 1102
- Roots And Things
- Invisible
- Big Apple
- Choral Diner
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