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Artist: Alan Broadbent
Album: Threads of Time
Genre: Post-Bop
Label: Savant
Released: 2025
Quality: FLAC (tracks+.cue)
Tracklist:
01. Another Time (Broadbent) - 4:47
02. Clifford Notes (Broadbent) - 5:51
03. Covenant (Broadbent) - 7:29
04. Journey Home (Broadbent) - 8:03
05. Prelude to Peace (Broadbent) - 7:52
06. This One's for Bud (Broadbent) - 5:45
07. The Long Goodbye (Broadbent) - 7:03
08. Sonny's Skip (Broadbent) - 4:28
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Personnel:
Alan Broadbent - piano
Sam Dillon - tenor saxophone
Scott Wendholt - trumpet
Eric Miller - trombone
Harvie S - bass
Lucas Ebeling - drums
Often recording with his trio or solo piano albums, and when the situation presents itself with an orchestra as on the excellent Broadbent Plays Brubeck (2021) and Developing Story (2017) in addition to his recent and highly productive collaboration with vocalist and lyricist Georgia Mancio that has produced the exquisite trilogy of albums Songbook (2017), Quiet Is The Star (2020) and A Story Left Untold (2025) for his latest release the pianist, composer and arranger has chosen to record a straight ahead jazz album for his sextet.
Choosing to focus on all original material, Broadbent acknowledges some of his favourite composers in Horace Silver, Billy Strayhorn, Tadd Dameron and Bud Powell among others in a set that is, as always, carefully crafted and arranged. As one would expect from a master craftsman this is far from a simple blowing date, with the pianist taking a selection of songs that he has composed over the last forty years and arranging them for the sextet in that allows the compositions to reveal all their subtle nuances and detail while still creating plenty of space for the soloists.
Direct acknowledgements to some of the jazz greats can be heard in ‘Clifford Notes’ for the wonderful Clifford Brown with a sound that could have come straight out of Rudy van Gelder’s studio, with the classic Blue Note feel and a deeply heartfelt and lyrical excursion from trumpeter, Scott Wendholt. The almost but not quite forgotten Sonny Clark is remembered by Broadbent in the brisk and boppish ‘Sonny’s Skip’ with fine solos from trombonist Eric Miller as well as Wendholt and a hard hitting yet fluent outing from Sam Dillon on tenor. A confirmed Bud Powell fan, the pianist honours his man on ‘This One’s For Bud’ with another fine bebop inspired theme and indeed seals the deal with a pithy, lyrical and succinct solo.
Those who have been following Alan’s collaboration with Georgia Mancio will recognise ‘This One’s for Bud’ from the Songbook album slightly retitled ‘One For Bud’ with the addition of Mancio’s lyrics, as Broadbent also recasts ‘Journey Home’ and ‘The Long (Last) Goodbye’ from the same album in splendid arrangements for the sextet, however it is two pieces that are new to me that Broadbent lays claim to adding another couple of classics to his extensive repertoire.
Opening with a beautiful solo statement from the pianist, ‘Covenant’ is then joined by firstly bass and drums and then the horns in a delicate and expansive piece of writing and arranging that sets the tone and opens the music up to Alan’s exceptional and absorbing solo superbly accompanied by Lucas Ebeling and Harvie S who has the unenviable task of following the pianist, but does so with an elegant solo of his own.
The other absolute diamond of a composition is ‘Prelude to Peace’ that exudes a sense of calm from the outset. The pianist’s touch is evident throughout from his playing behind the horns, and one quickly realises that his deft chords and melodic lines are certainly not secondary to the skillful arrangement for the horn but an integral part of the whole. In fact, along with his solo on this and throughout this fine album, one can hear so much from just focusing on the pianist.
This is an incredibly accomplished composed, arranged and performed album from Broadbent, and as close to perfection as you likely to find in any small group recording. Quite simply outstanding and unmissable.
Review by Nick Lea