Roswell Rudd & Heather Masse—August Love Song
2016, Red House Records
[Will be out on February 26, 2016]
Heather Masse's vocals are a rare blend of bell-like timbre and expression. She seems to be a natural alto, yet she can hit impossibly high notes as sweet and easy as a lick on a melting ice-cream cone. At eighty, consummate jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd is still a master at teasing subtle textures from his instrument, no mean feat for an instrument whose basic sound is generated by bilabial vibrations. The tunes are a combination of standards and originals with a strong sense of melody and sophisticated lyrics. The odd-couple sounds of their instruments are the playground for a giddy array of bluesy bent notes and jazzy phrasing and with just Rolf Sturm on guitar and Mark Helias on contra bass, there is plenty of open space to play. And play they do as "I'm Goin Sane (One Day at a Time)” starts with Heather scatting like a horn and Roswell trying to make his trombone use its words, before the song’s melody emerges triumphant and redemptive. “Mood Indigo” is brought to its most basic chord, with Masse's lead and Rudd's dark blue notes making you feel as if you have seen behind the curtain and found the wizard to be even grander than first imagined. The two-man rhythm section swings the heck out of “Blackstrap Molasses—That Old Devil Moon” as Rudd and Masse take it for a ride.
You can enjoy August Love Song a different way every time you play it. Pretty much, whatever song is on at the moment will be your new favorite. The cross-generational chemistry and sublime musicianship of this duo is a constant delight whether you are thrilling to a new interpretation of a standard, exploring one of their originals or just smiling at the unlikely, lovely sound they make together. —Michael Devlin