Auteur

It's hard to find an album more classic than this one, which throws you right into the heart of bebop without any restraint. It's bold, and that's precisely what gives it its charm, thanks to the excellence of the musicians in this sextet, who immediately draw you into their turbulent universe! David Weiss presents *Auteur*, showcasing original compositions, unreleased works by Freddie Hubbard and Slide Hampton, as well as the latest iteration of his award-winning group. *Auteur* is his fourth album with the David Weiss Sextet — and the first in ten years for this ensemble — and it stands out due to its brilliant and striking orchestrations, along with a virtuosic unity among the group members. These include his long-time collaborators Myron Walden on alto saxophone and EJ Strickland on drums, as well as new members Nicole Glover on tenor saxophone, David Bryant on piano, and Eric Wheeler on double bass.

It's safe to say that it's absolutely impossible to resist this excellent album — inspired and referential, offering such beautiful musical moments that we might have never known. Little by little, this style of jazz reveals a modern, contemporary, and almost contemplative vision. "As I was writing, the pieces started to take on these extended forms," he says. With each one, he strives to "break away from tradition" while maintaining some traditional formats for the solos. Recorded at Big Orange Sheep Studios in Brooklyn and mixed and mastered by Katherine Miller and Fred Kevorkian respectively, the compositions encourage an exploration of theme and variation throughout the album. Each artist's treatment and development of the melody elevates the music even further, signaling a deep familiarity with each selection that invites boundless risk-taking. "We try to work on the material in concert as much as possible before going into the studio," explains Weiss. "It's not just a rehearsal and then, 'Let's go.' We've really worked on it."

No doubt the craftsmanship is excellent, but that's not the only quality of this album, which, much like admiring a discreetly beautiful woman, asks you to take the time to discover and appreciate its intellect. The compositions are like an architectural design that would have made Louis Le Vau, one of the architects of the Palace of Versailles, envious. One must listen and re-listen to the track *Rebop*, which in my opinion captures the full essence of this album, exuding the passion of a jazz composer. All the codes are there, deconstructed, re-inspired, and this is only the beginning. Next comes *The Mirror*, another dimension, another perspective, another voice, likely a page of history that the author wants to lead us through...

This album delivers a sensory experience to its audience, effortlessly, followed by a tribute to Wayne... That was enough to convince me, especially since the arrangements for the horns are sumptuous, and the writing of the tracks is more than captivating, with the instrumental solos being the cherry on top. "The sextet flirts with the boundaries of traditional jazz, innovating while drawing from the tradition," (Sharonne Cohen, *JazzTimes*). I'd even say they surpass them to the point where we now anticipate David Weiss taking on new artistic challenges with even greater risk, as this kind of musician seems to have no limits. In its genre, this album more than deserves a place in our collection of "Essentials."