The Bill Phipps Jazz Ensemble makes jazz that is saturated in a cool, ‘60s vibe. Led by Phipps on tenor saxophone, this 10-song collection swings at a steady pace with lots of improvisation and a whole lot of soul.

The outfit also includes Radam Schwartz at the hearty Hammond B3. Alfred Patterson exhibits a notable presence on trombone, particularly during “Mjade 2”, a song he wrote. The way Patterson and Schwartz trade off licks during this particular track is nothing short of thrilling. Otis Brown, Jr., on drums, rounds out the instrumental section of the Bill Phipps Jazz Ensemble.

Ah, but there’s more than just instrumental music going on here. In a few places, Phipps’ sound is accented by the lovely singing of Maura Tier. In each case, Tier takes on a tried ‘n true tune. She opens the disc by singing “Summertime”, that great old George Gershwin ode to the hot weather months. Later, she rollicks her way through Louis Jordan’s hip-ly asked question, “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby”. Somehow, this title has always sounded like something Yogi Berra might propose. But in Tier’s hands, it swings gently, and with pleasure.

There’s also one more singer here; Lady Laranah Phipps. She joins the party for the tropical “Kitts Kalypso”. Although it’s only 3:57 long, it’s nevertheless a wacky little break from this otherwise American jazz-centric project. And while Otis Brown, Jr. keeps the groove going at an unhurried island pace, Bill Phipps still finds more than enough space to stretch out with fine solo saxophone work. The drummer even gets a little love with his own solo toward the track’s end.

Phipps composed the majority of these tracks. With the exception of Tier’s vocal selections, as well as Patterson’s two contributions and one traditional tune (“Moscow Mile”), Phipps was the set’s main composer. There are also many varying lengths to these songs. For instance, the act’s take on “Summertime” is over and done in 3:21, whereas “The Point Beyond”, which closes out the disc, stretches out to 10:54.

Much of the time, there is fast-paced musical interplay among these musicians. However, “Obama’s Delight”, more than likely an ode to our first black president, takes it nice and easy as a warm ballad. On it, Phipps can be heard blowing thoughtful musical lines over Schwartz’s soothing, but insistent, organ bed. It’s hard to think of such a beautiful piece of music as political. Instead, it simply comes off as an instrumental tribute to the man and his accomplishments, no matter his political party or policies.

At the risk of offending Kenny G fans, which is really no risk at all, the music Phipps makes is real jazz. People can argue about what brand of jazz is best until the cows come home, but we can all be objective about the differences between creative jazz, and mere instrumental pop. For instance, acts that play the same melody over and over again atop a funk bass/drum groove are performing a pop tune-sans-singer, and not jazz. Granted, much of that repetitious music is pleasing to the ear, but it’s still not jazz. On the other hand, you don’t have to listen too long to Phipps And Friends to notice how hard these players are working at finding new wrinkles in older tunes, such as this disc’s Gershwin inclusion, and spontaneity among its many newer creations. While it may not be the most complete definition of jazz, the search for pleasantly unexpected notes and rhythms is a large part of jazz’s appeal. Without a doubt, the Bill Phipps Jazz Ensemble pushes hard at the exploratory boundaries with this latest effort.

Review by Dan MacIntosh

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