The Road to Trantor

Like a smooth, quenching claret, The Road to Trantor is saxophonist Carl Schultz's vision of something that audiences will find aurally scrumptious. He refers to his creation of all original material as "a soundtrack to a science fiction movie that only exists in my head." The compilation is more comparable to classic 1950's ballroom dance meets whimsical 2020's symbiotic parlance. The rapport among the musicians sizzles and tranquilizes, schmoozing freely in a social club-style setting. There is a capricious flare in the playing, a sleek chirping nestled in sophisticated banter that recalls of jazz masters like Oscar Peterson and Charlie Parker. Led by Schultz on saxophone and flute, his ensemble consists of Adam Benjamin on piano and Rhodes, Tim Wendel on guitar, Zack Teran on bass, and Alwyn Robinson on drums. Their melodic sensibilities blossom into an easy-going elegance that enshrouds the listener is sonic bliss. Schultz unveils in the press release that the album is "an exploration of the themes found in science fiction author Issac Asimov's works." He claims to have noticed, "that, in their earliest phase, the pieces sounded cinematic. They fit certain roles like 'music for the closing credits of a film' or 'love theme'." His vision is enticing, revitalizing traditional jazz idioms through a modern lens.