Judgement Day Vol. 2 Review

By Howard Mandell - Jazz Beyond Jazz

July 19, 2009

Howard Mandel's freelance Urban Improvisation

Fast impressions, new jazz 'n' out cds

Judgement Day, Vol. 2 -- Rashied Ali Quintet (Survival) -- 4 stars --

Urgency and the accomplishment to make it convincing leap off this cd by Coltrane's most time-diffusing drummer. Here Ali's in a relatively more conventional post-bop mode but he's still plenty quick and cliché-free, with younger, all muscular true-believers (pianist Greg Murphy, particularly impressive bassist Joris Teepe, raging trumpeter Jumaane Smith and tenor saxophonist Lawrence Clark). Bright and refreshing, riding the edge, blessedly free of cliches. I haven't heard Vol. 1.