Live at the Poster Museum

There are pluses and minuses to all recordings, the attributes stacking up like cordwood due to the virtuosity of the musicians, the compositional value of the tunes and the basic, primary aim of the leader. In this case, the leader, virtuoso drummer Robby Ameen, blurs the line between Afro-Caribbean rhythms and swinging post bop jazz. His music mentions in a way, that the divisions we may see between the different elements of the music that became modern jazz in New Orleans, are not really divisions at all. To this, Live at the Poster Museum (Origin, 2024) makes a strong case in point.

Ameen accomplishes this by gathering a collective of musicians who at any given moment can quote from any aspect of Black American music. A collective of voices that separately are indeed very different, but very much the same in the degree of their intensity and musical excellence. The band, performing live in the spirit of the New York loft scene of the 1970's at Phillip Williams Posters in Tribeca, New York City, interprets six Ameen originals and a complete breakdown of the Sonny Rollins classic "Oleo."

One can hear and feel the intensity (there is that word again) while the entire sextet is playing or when it breaks down to two or three members in push mode—much like tenor giant Troy Roberts and Ameen on "Oleo." Ameen's prowess is a known quantity in the industry, perhaps less so publicly, but his work for artists such as Rubén Blades, Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch and others has firmly established him as a premier Afro Cuban-driven practitioner of Latin Jazz. In terms of his work in that area on drum kit, he may well be without peer. Listeners will not have any trouble hearing that prowess on this recording, Ameen's work is front and center on all tunes, and in terms of volume and dynamics, the dominant aspect of the mix as a whole. For the most part, it is a thrilling ride, though the dynamic peaks and valleys of the music tends to stress the upper end of the equation. Listeners have to be up for that reality and embrace it, or face being worn down by what amounts to relentless virtuosity.

Ameen is joined in the rhythm section by bassist Lincoln Goines, another master musician who performs well in both Latin and straight ahead settings. Edsel Gomez performs on Fender Rhodes, contributing a sound harmonic balance to the proceedings. The front line handles a lion's share of the solo work, with a dynamic duo of tenordom in saxophonists Roberts and Bob Franceschini. Trombonist Conrad Herwig has earned his stripes with jazz cats like Tom Harrell and Joe Lovano, and Latin jazz giants Palmieri and Michel Camilo. Of all the players on this recording, Herwig's playing may be the most pleasant surprise, consistently exceeding high expectations with his solo work. His solo on the Ameen gem, "Una Muy Anita," finds the trombonist in relatively calm waters, exhibiting a breathy, almost whispering tone that captures the piece with an alternative melody line that sounds as much as written composition as it does a blues based strand of melodic improvisation.

The opener, "Fast Eye," moves the band forward with Afro Cuban fire and a complex melody line executed flawlessly. Immediately, the scene is set by Ameen's intricate, powerful work, with Roberts playing into the head of the storm to get things rolling. Herwig follows with quicksilver runs spiraling into precision melodic conversation with the comping of Gomez. "Mixology" and "Lucia's Wawa" have sparse harmonic qualities in terms of chords from Gomez, but soloists have to go toe to toe with the relentless intensity of Ameen. Jazz soloists have their preferences when it comes to harmonic and rhythmic support, some having disdain for players like Ameen or pianists who comp orchestrally, or basically just play a lot of notes. No such hesitation here, with the wind players joyfully jumping into the fray. Ameen's whirlwind of rhythmic virtuosity and intense volume is embraced and used as inspiration to move with high-powered, spirited potency.

Ameen's compositions give soloists everything they need and more in providing a lit harmonic sense and a virtual storm of rhythmic waves crashing in repeated fashion at the feet of the players engaged. The melodies are not memorable, something that would help build a bridge of musical repose between periods of pure high energy and stunning solo work. Live From the Poster Museum will not disappoint Ameen fans, in fact it will shine a light on truth they have known beforehand, the same truth newcomers will nod in agreement with—that Ameen is a rare jewel in the world of percussion whose talent deserves to stand out on its own.