The Laconic

The National - Trouble Will Find Me (2013) {4AD CAD3315CD}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 348 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 129 Mb
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© 2013 4AD / The National | CAD3315CD
Rock / Indie Rock / Alternative / Chamber Pop / Sadcore

Upon first spin, Trouble Will Find Me, the warm, wistful, and weary sixth long-player from The National, sounds a lot like 2010's warm, wistful, and weary High Violet, but where the former was built on a foundation of suburban despondency and casual, middle class self-destruction (and skillfully juggled melodrama and dark comedy), the latter feels mired in regret, seeking refuge in the arms of old friends and lost lovers, sounding for all the world like a single cube of ice lazily swirling about a recently drained tumbler of single malt scotch, a notion best intoned on early album standout "Demons," which casually announces "I am secretly in love with everyone I grew up with."

This 1977 date joins two jazz giants with contrasting approaches: Gillespie's explosive bop trumpet virtuosity and Basie's laconic piano style. The bare-bones quartet format - with the sterling rhythm team of bassist Ray Brown and drummer Mickey Roker - does nothing to conceal the differences, but it sets up a comfortable middle ground that accommodates swing and bop nuances alike. Differences apart, the co-leaders share infectious warmth, a deep feeling for the blues, and an absolute compulsion to swing. Basie's understatement triggers some of Gillespie's most thoughtful playing of his later career, developing long, intricate solos that combine harmonic exploration and direct, speechlike inflections, often with the distinctive burr of a harmon mute…

Alto sax master Lou Donaldson's entry to the Blue Note Artist Selects series includes a blend of originals and standards, with Hall of Fame lineups from various eras. Listening to this music, one can map the evolution of jazz in the context of his development as a musician. ~ AllAboutJazz