John Patitucci: Communion

Bassist John Patitucci has assembled a tasteful collage, intended to serve as an extension of Imprint, his last release as a leader. Mostly modern mainstream originals that run suite-like through various impressions, this is improvised jazz at its best. This time out, Patitucci's tastes include lively Latin jazz, lyrical ballads, samba, Afro-Caribbean fantasy, and more. His emphasis is on the lyrical quality in music of different forms. Soloing and leading small ensembles, the bassist flexes his melodic chops on both upright and electric models. Patitucci's 6-string electric bass has always been, for him, as light and as flexible as a guitar. Alongside the 41-year-old leader's virtuosity is feature work from Joe Lovano's tenor on "Calabria," his soprano on "Valentine" and Branford Marsalis' soprano on the dreamy ballad "Communion." Elsewhere, Chris Potter's soprano shines brightly on several tracks in unison with Luciana Souza's wordless soprano vocals, and his tenor twists artfully through an up-tempo "The Sower."

Of his decision to incorporate a wide variety, Patitucci says, "Over the years, jazz has always absorbed a lot of different cultures. Jazz is the ultimate world music because it has had an interaction of different cultures, and I see Communion as a continuation of that."

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