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Tim Solook — Changed Lives
(Sol Time Records 01955, 2024, CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2025-01-13

Changed Lives Cover art

Tim Solook is a Texas based drummer and composer working in the jazz idiom, arranging his pieces for a full ensemble. Changed Lives is Solook’s fifth solo album, following Delete Event from 2020, on which many of the same players are featured. There are two different lineups on the album, one group from 2022 that recorded the title track at San Jacinto College in June 2022, and another group that recorded the remainder of the tracks in November 2023 at Westside Recording in Sugarland, Texas. Both groups feature Solook (of course) and keyboardist Andrew Lienhard, who contributes organ to the title cut while Paul English handles the piano. Then there are four percussion-only pieces featuring just Solook, that in some ways are the highlights of the album; “Rhythm Suite #1” opens the album in fact, only a minute and a half long, but it’s quite mesmerizing. Likewise “Rhythm Suite #2” arrives after a couple jazz offerings, and “...#3” after a couple more, all clocking in at around a minute and a half, while the fourth piece, “Steve Gadd” (apparently one of Solook’s major influences), is more of a short drum solo that’s barely over a minute long. The power lineup on most of the cuts features Solook, the aforementioned Lienhard on keys, Paul Chester on guitar, bassist David Craig (acoustic or electric, track depending), and saxophonist Warren Sneed; all of these players show their best chops early on with “January” and its slower follow-on “Free Sample,” two beautiful melodic numbers that are (along with the title cut) some of the standout numbers on the album. Also worthy of special mention is “Old Friends,” with some unusual melodic phrasing, a beautiful bass solo by Craig, and a powerful and intimate guitar solo by Chester. All along the way there are many treasures to be discovered, and throughout Solook leads his ensemble with brilliance.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Tim Solook

More info
http://open.spotify.com/album/57W7e03G15gM1GcAWtcqrj

 

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