Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » David Ake: Lake Effect

8

David Ake: Lake Effect

By

Sign in to view read count
David Ake: Lake Effect
Pianist David Ake strikes a pensive pose on the back cover of Lake Effect, foreshadowing a good amount of the music that follows. With his previous album, Ake reveled in the opportunity to keep listener's guessing from song to song and moment to moment. It was a musical gambit that paid off handsomely, making Bridges (Posi-Tone, 2013) one of the stand-out releases of 2013. Here, Ake takes a step forward by taking a step back. Gone is the striking uncertainty projected through Bridges. Through much of this album, Ake simplifies his surroundings, painting musical reveries with gentle hands and highlighting the simpatico sensibilities of his band mates when the temperature rises.

Ake perfectly connects this music to the title of the record, mixing cool and glacial forms with hotter surfaces. The mellow(er) tracks hew toward a wistful and mystical aesthetic. "Lone Pine (For Charlie Haden)," the brief and placid album opener, is the first number to fall into that category. Further down the line there's "Tricycle," a zen-jazz episode that builds into something bigger before returning to a meditative state; "Hills," which finds saxophonist Peter Epstein and Ake floating atop a sea of serenity; "Silver Thaw," presenting this quartet in a state of repose that involves metallic rustling, two slowly see-sawing chords, and simple utterances; and Egberto Gismonti's "Palhaco," which pairs Epstein and Ake in a gorgeously heartbreaking setting.

The remaining tracks, interspersed between the spacious and introspective offerings, provide injections of energy. "The Cubs" is a choppy and gleeful piece; "Two Stones" is hip in an understated way; "Returning" is spry, whether swinging or stammering; and the rhythmically reconstituted take on Monk's "Bye-Ya" is pure fun. And then there's "Lake Effect," a piece that runs the mellow-to-energetic gamut. Bassist Sam Minaie sets the scene there, gently moving over Ake's piano. Then, it's Epstein's saxophone, Ake's firm chordal support, and Mark Ferber's Brian Blade-ish drum work that help the song take flight.

On every piece here, Ake proves to be a gifted communicator, performer, and composer. His simplest compositions are soothing, heart-on-sleeve expressions and his feistier feats are imaginative and accessible gems that get the heart racing.

Track Listing

Lone Pine (For Charlie Haden); The Cubs; Tricycle; Two Stones; Hills; Bye-Ya; Silver Thaw; Palhaco; Returning; Lake Effect.

Personnel

David Ake
piano

David Ake: piano; Peter Epstein: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone; Sam Minaie: bass; Mark Ferber: drums.

Album information

Title: Lake Effect | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Posi-Tone Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.