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Peter Hum reviews Jared Gold and Tom Tallitsch…

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The discs below feature the fine work of organist Jared Gold, who should be on your get-t0-know list if you’re not already familiar with him…

Golden Child (Posi-Tone)
Jared Gold

jaredgold goldenchild mt Vital Organs I (CD reviews)

Attention Larry Goldings, Sam Yahel and other acknowledged contemporary jazz organ masters:  Jared Gold is nipping at your heels.

The young New York organist is amassing some formidable playing credits with the likes of John Abercrombie, Dave Stryker, Oliver Lake and Ralph Bowen. His fifth disc under his own name,  Golden Child,reaffirms that with guitarist Ed Cherry and drummer Quincy Davis, he leads a trio that has it goin’ on.

The CD consists of 11 tracks, sequenced such that Gold wrote all the even-numbered tracks, while the odd-numbered tracks are covers that range from Duke Ellington (In A Sentimental Mood) to ’60s pop and soul (Wichita LinemanA Change Is Gonna Come, I Can See Clearly Now).

Regardless of who wrote them, the consistently potent and satisfying tracks combine to draw a clear picture of Gold’s strengths.

He’s soulful in the extreme on A Change Is Gonna Come, a top-notch disc-opener that you won’t be skipping on repeated listens. On the hippified Wichita Lineman and the quirkier I Can See Clearly Now,  Gold makes some smart harmonic revisions without losing the gist of the original tunes. He cranks up the groove on the somewhat reharmonized In A Sentimental Mood, as you can see in this clip, which features drummer McLenty Hunter rather than Davis:

The swinging’s just as strong — which is to say it’s an exhortation for foot-tapping and head-bobbing– on the minor-key tune I Wanna Walk and Gold’s own Hold That Thought.  The original Times Up is a burner that brings to mind the urgency and power of Larry Young. The grooving’s greasier in a good, New Orleans-inspired way, on 14 Carat Gold. The disc-ending When Its Sleepytime Down South is right on the money.

Throughout, guitarist Cherry is a no-nonsense foil for Gold, as economical and blues-based with his note choices as Gold can be florid and sophisticated. They and Davis are utterly in sync as they shape the flow and craft the details.

Heads Or Tales (Posi-Tone)
Tom Tallitsch

tom tallitsch heads or tales Vital Organs I (CD reviews)

New Jersey-based saxophonist and radio show host Tom Tallitsch presents eight post-bopping originals and a Neil Young cover on his latest CD, which features organist Gold raising the music to a higher level.

Swingers such as the opener Coming Around and the charging tune Double Shotdovetail nicely with Tallitsch’s burly yet breathy playing that at times features long, Lovano-esque, corkscrewing lines.  Here’s a version of Coming Around from an organ-free band led by Tallitsch: 

 I especially like the vibe on the slower, Elvinish tune Tenderfoot, the groove tune Flat Stanley and the waltzing, upbeat tune Dunes, that features a nice gradual build up front.The disc’s only cover, Neil Young’s Don’t Let It Bring You Down, is a short, minimalist reading featuring Tallisch that introduces some welcome vulnerability to the CD’s emotional range. Still, I wonder if the saxophonist could have been more expansive or ambitious with the tune.

Guitarist Dave Allen is a fluent, modern player whose advanced improvising can seem to pick up where Tallitsch leaves off — that’s to Allen’s credit, but it also seems to me that the disc could do with a bit more contrast now and again in terms of the feeling and approaches of these soloists. Mark Ferber drums with his usual spark and precision. Gold, as I mentioned, consistently enlivens the music, and his solos on Tenderfoot and Flat Stanley count as disc highlights.