Aretha Tillotson

Riffing on the title of Sonny Rollins classic 1957 Way Out West trio album, bassist Aretha Tillotson’s CD ups the ante a bit. Not only does she lead a quartet, but all of its members are actually from the west – she and drummer Dave Laing from Edmonton, and sisters, alto saxophonist Ingrid Jensen and trumpeter Christine, who were born in Nanaimo. Throughout the nine tracks the front line and rhythm section equilibrium is maintained with the horn work, whether harmonized or opened up with trumpet obbligatos and reed trills, balanced by cymbal cracks, drum shuffles as well as string slaps and pulls.

Overall most of the tracks, all composed by Tillotson, are light and buoyant, long enough to story tell and wrapped up neatly. Some like the tough “Cricklewood Lane” add maracas-suggestions and bass string pumps to the bottom with the mid-range horn undulations moving from brassy trumpet ripples  and reed smears to connective grace notes. As well the bassist’s writing is sophisticated enough so that “Sad Junie (To Highway Jake)” for instance is infused with melancholy propelled by an expressive double bass solo and validated with squeezed plunger notes from the trumpeter and slippery downcast vibrations from the saxophonist.

Including instances when Laing’s drum clinks and paradiddles trade fours with Tillotson’s steady string lopes surrounded by the horns’ sympathetic note blends Kinda Out West easily reflects contemporary mainstream jazz. However in 1958 Rollins recorded The Freedom Suite and perhaps its that sort of musical release Tillotson could aim for next time out.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Jill Of All 2. Kinda Out West 3. Cricklewood Lane 4. Lullaby To Those Before 5. Sphere Of Influence 6. 35 7. Gauche Caviar 8. Sad Junie (To Highway Jake) 9. Kinda Out West (Alternate Take)

Personnel: Ingrid Jensen (trumpet); Christine Jensen  (alto saxophone); Aretha Tillotson (bass) and Dave Laing (drums)