Hometown

An excellent trumpeter with an attractive sound, a wide range, and a real feel for advanced hard bop, Jared Hall is heard in top form throughout Hometown. His fourth album as a leader and third for the Origin label, this set teams him with tenor-saxophonist Troy Roberts (whose inventive and fiery solos sometimes come close to stealing the show), pianist Ben Markley, bassist Michael Glynn, and drummer Kyle Swan.

The seven selections include five Hall originals and two standards. "Step By Step" is the trumpeter's new melody based on "Giant Steps" (which is given a slight Latin feel). "Echoes And Origins" is a swinger with a tricky melody. A relative of "Out Of Nowhere," "Family Groove" has an unpredictable improvisation from Roberts while "Room 111" is an uptempo minor blues that has one of Hall's best solos of the set along with an explosive tenor-drums duet. Also performed are an inventive reworking of Bobby Hutcherson's best-known song "Little B's Poem," Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now" recast as a waltz, and two versions of Hall's hard bop tune "Hometown" which benefit from its dancing bass patterns. Fans of modern hard bop will find much to enjoy on Jared Hall's Hometown.