Open Spaces

4-STARS Matt Olson is a professor of saxophone and director of jazz studies at Furman University in South Carolina. His band, with guitarist Matt Dingledine, bassist Shannon Hoover and drummer Justin Watt, comes from Greenville and Adib Young is one of his highly talented students, who is making his debut on "Open Spaces". The ten compositions are a real eye-catcher, as they demonstrate the band's versatility in a very varied and first-class way. The rousing, swinging tracks ("Ups and Downs", "BopCycle", "Violons d'Ingres", "Insomnomania") are contrasted with sensitively played ballads ("Fade to Black", "Gravity And Levity"). Added to this are the bossa-feeling "Redbud", the modal "Open Spaces" and the rhythmically complicated "The Name of the Game" and "Starts in 5", the latter strongly reminiscent of Thelonius Monk. Olson and Young impress with flowing and intelligent improvisations, supported by the well-rehearsed rhythm team Hoover and Watt. Guitarist Dingledine provides the always reliable harmonic framework and also shines as a soloist.