Tattooed by Passion: Music inspired by the paintings of Dale Chisman

Finally drummer Matt Jorgensen leads a stellar 5tet on (4), and they work through an impressive series of compositions devoted to the painting of the late Dale Chisman. The nicely handled package displays several of the Chisman paintings which directly inspired Jorgensen, and makes listening to this set a programmatic experience. Trumpeter Thomas Marriott nearly steals the date, for he has a burnished perfect tone and a gentle lyric way with his improvisations. He is never showy, but always deeply felt. On two tracks, "Colorado" and " August" Jorgenson expands his 5tet into a nonet by adding a string quartet, and on the closing "Savage Grace" Richard Cole adds his clarinet to make the band into a tentet. Throughout there is an elegiac quality to the whole record, and the addition of strings and clarinet only intensifies that feel. But Marriott's crisp and lovely playing never lets the feeling drift into sentiment. (4) is an impressive record, and in a fair world it would make Marriott and Jorgensen well known. As it is, you should know about it.