The latest album from pianist and keyboard player Bennett Paster finds him joined by Jeff Hanley (bass), Tony Mason (drums), Al Street (guitar), Kenny Brooks (tenor sax), Samuel Torres (congas and percussion) and Todd Isler (percussion) on an instrumental album which is full of swing, groove and vibrancy. It is the sort of jazz album which wraps its arms around the listener and invites them into a place of safety and joy. Paster himself describes the album by saying, “Deep groove is the number one priority on Indivisible. Each song explores a different flavour of groove, from 5/4 swing to funky 70s samba, from New Orleans to Nordic open 8th, and onwards to funk, country waltz, fusion, surf and beyond. This collection draws connections between the contrasting rhythms through the constant focus on groove.”
He has a wonderful touch on the piano, and while he is often taking the melodic lead he also knows when the time is right to sit back and let the others have their time. It is an incredibly warm album, inclusive and inviting, with the percussion often providing a Cuban or Latin feel, and it is impossible not to relax into the sounds with a smile on the face. Some jazz albums take work, while others just seem way too lite and cheesy, yet this is immediate and beguiling. Staccato when it needs to be, languorous at others, here is a musician in control of his craft and the result is something quite special indeed.
Rating: 8/10
