Daniel Sadownick
There Will Be a Day (In Time)
www.danielsadownick.com
Rating: 
Looking beyond commonly conceived notions of “Latin jazz,” ace percussionist Daniel Sadownick has put together a set of straight-ahead original music which draws as much from bebop and postmodern jazz ideas as it does from Afro-Cuban rhythm. Part tough-guy swagger, part smooth urban soul, this appealing disc makes it clear that Sadownick is following his own muse, reaching out to a broad audience while defying easy categorization.
The early proceedings are rooted firmly in the Latin-bop tradition, with riff-driven locomotive beats propelling “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise” (the disc’s only standard) and the upbeat strut of “Bronx Bop.” Both tunes ably show off the strengths of Sadownick’s core sextet, as the leader sets down dense layers of bubbling percussion. Michael Karn’s burning yet soulful sax work and the gliding trumpet of Joe Magnarelli stand out in particular, and Sadownick blends seamlessly with the agile kit work of drummer Daniel Freedman. But by the time “A Kiss that Whispers” rolls in — with an exotic, black-velvet atmosphere, a haunting oboe melody and an aching piano solo by Rob Bargad — it is clear that Sadownick is not one to sit still.
Changing his band’s lineup from track to track, Sadownick moves from lush urbanity to upbeat shuffle-grooves, even doubling on fretless bass for one track. The disc ends in a spiritual vein, with Sadownick backing the passionate soul of vocalist Morey Kamen. Throughout, he weaves a rich, colorful carpet of expressive textures, reaffirming the centrality, subtlety and fluid power of the drum in contemporary jazz.
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