Joe Lovano – Paramount Quartet

It has been some time since Joe Lovano last recorded with a guitarist.

We no doubt remember Paul Motian’s trio, where the saxophonist played alongside Bill Frisell. Later, he formed the ScoLoHoFo quartet, where John Scofield’s guitar provided the counterpoint, supported by Dave Holland and Al Foster. More recently, he paid tribute to Paul Motian alongside Danish guitarist Jakob Bro.

Julian Lage‘s guitar, featured on this recording, is therefore part of a prestigious lineage and is an excellent choice due to its sometimes mellow, sometimes tangy sound and fluid phrasing, which blend beautifully with the leader’s mellow saxophones.

The guitar is thus used not only as a harmonic instrument but above all as a melodic voice, and the six-string lines frequently intertwine with those of the saxophones in delightful counterpoints.

Five compositions by Lovano make up the repertoire, complemented by Charlie Haden’s “First Song” and Wayne Shorter’s “Lady Day.” This shows that the quartet is positioned in a cantabile vein where ballads dominate. Santi Debriano‘s double bass and Will Calhoun‘s drums provide the two soloists with accompaniment of great finesse and admirable robustness. In this context, Lovano and Lage deploy improvisations imbued with an incomparable flavor, and we follow their evolution with great pleasure. This is a beautiful new recording from a saxophonist who has accustomed us to always expecting the best from him and who, with a new group, has succeeded in marking his discography with a new milestone.