Heading Home

4-STARS There is a sensible piece of advice known to every baseball batter that has been taken to heart by Milwaukee-based trumpeter Eric Jacobson's concerning his hard-hitting quintet: come out swinging. Which is precisely what happens on Heading Home, Jacobson's second (or perhaps third) recording as leader of his own ensemble, whose opening number, "Survival," proves beyond a doubt that everyone in the lineup—all eyes focused on the ball—definitely means business.

"Survival" sets the tone for the album as a whole, which consists of eight of Jacobson's bright and perceptive hard-bop compositions, deftly performed by the ensemble. The mood is sunny and upbeat, even on the session's lone ballad, "My Love for [Jacobson's wife] Amy." It's a stance that suits everyone perfectly well, especially the leader, whose sharp and nimble horn usually leads the way.

Jacobson is closely followed, in style and substance, by tenor saxophonist Geof Bradfield and pianist Bruce Barth (the lone New Yorker on the date), while bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer George Fludas—both housed in Chicago, as is Bradfield—keep the rhythmic pedal to the metal. Every number after "Survival," on which Bradfield, Jacobson, Barth and Fludas deliver exhilarating solos, must have seemed (relatively) smooth, even though Jacobson's elaborate charts are far from effortless and demand everyone's absolute attention.

Besides "Survival" and "Amy," the appetizing menu encompasses the breezy jazz waltz "Three of a Kind," the minor blues "Manty Time," a scampering "Sunset Suite," bop-blended "Pause Time," the high-spirited "You're Alright, the World's All Wrong" and a smoldering finale/title song, "Heading Home." Jacobson designs impressive statements on every one, as do Bradfield and Barth, while Carroll and Fludas are ready and able whenever their names are called.

One of the reasons, we are told, why Jacobson, a longtime educator, writer and performer with local ensembles, is not more broadly known is that he seldom has enough spare time to record. Perhaps he should work on that. In any case, Heading Home should, hopefully, expose his remarkable talents to a wider and more sizeable audience.