Soolking on Ira

Sitting in the Atlantic Ocean, seven volcanic rocks rise above the waves: the Canaries, an archipelago shaped by nature and man. A major destination for mass tourism since the fifties, the islands feature amongst the preferred spots for holidaymakers from northern Europe.

For saxophonists not familiar with Bloom's playing, this is an excellent release to do so with. The tunes are a mixture of originals and arranged standards and offer some great ensemble playing as well as solo work. Bloom has also procured a stellar group to create the music with as well, including Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and flugelhorn, Julian Priester on trombones, Bobby Previte on drums, Rufus Reid on bass, and Fred Hersch on piano. Bloom's soprano tone should be a benchmark for musicians wishing to hear what a well-played soprano saxophone sounds like. Not only is her "sound" superb, so are her incredibly well-chosen notes in solo passages. Bloom has an great amount of facility in all registers and blends this seemlessly with the arrangements around her.

Jane Ira Bloom on soprano sax. Allison Miller on drums. Recorded remotely from each player’s home studios, because that’s 2021 for musicians. Five Tuesdays in March and April bore the following fruit…