Solidarity

In a nutshell this is brightly voiced chamber jazz from Denver trombonist and composer-arranger Zach Rich on an album of his own music recorded in a Colorado studio at the end of 2021 for jazz quintet and chamber orchestra.

We liked the scurrying sax to-and-fro on the 'Anthem' track and Julian Carey's vocal on his own lyrics to 'What is the World Rated' mainly spoken as a kind of homily rather than sung and where the song examines what cinema rating the world would be given is explored.

The powerfully swinging tune 'The Heavyweight' featuring bassist Seth Lewis, saxist Austin Cebulske and pianist Gavin Dunn, where the soulful heart of an album which is often mournful and melancholic is best found, also works more than well. Rich's gutsy soloing illuminates the record in lots of places especially the title track and shows how spirited and tender a player he is. Trumpeter Shane Endsley's guest spot on 'Broken Mirrors' also resonated with us and its arrangement integrates the strings and jazz quintet best of all.