Gospel Music

ヴィブラフォン奏者ジョエル・ロスがブルーノート5作目となるアルバム『ゴスペル・ミュージック』で帰還。自身のバンド「グッド・ヴァイブス」の編成を拡大したセクステットで、アルトサックスにジョシュ・ジョンソン、テナーサックスにマリア・グランド、ピアノにジェレミー・コーレン、ベースにカノア・メンデンホール、ドラムにジェレミー・ダットンを迎えている。本作は聖書の物語を音で解釈した作品であり、ロスの信仰の探求であると同時に、教会で培われた音楽的素養の集大成でもある。希望と愛のメッセージを届ける作品となっている。
＜パーソネル＞Joel Ross(vibes) Josh Johnson(as) Maria Grand(ts) Jeremy Corren(p) Kanoa Mendenhall(b) Jeremy Dutton(ds)

Vibraphonist Joel Ross imbues his jazz with spiritual passion on his heady fifth album, 2026s Gospel Music. The follow-up to 2024s Nublues, Gospel Music finds Ross drawing inspiration from his Christian faith; he grew up playing in a Baptist church where his father was choir director. Here, he crafts songs that explore Biblical themes of creation, the fall, and salvation, but with a focus on loving God and goodwill toward others. Lending him warm support is his Good Vibes sextet, featuring Josh Johnson on alto saxophone, Maria Grand on tenor saxophone, Jeremy Corren on piano, Kanoa Mendenhall on bass, and Jeremy Dutton on drums. While there are certainly actual gospel sounds at play in Ross music, he doesnt abandon the atmospheric modalism and swinging post-bop hes known for. Cuts like the opening "Wisdom is Eternal" (For Barry Harris), "Trinity" (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and "Protoevengelium" (The First Gospel), are relaxed, lushly harmonized compositions in which Ross pulls you into deep, sonic meditation. Which isnt to say there arent moments of stunningly kinetic improvisation, as in "Hostile," a song that sounds like Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers swinging out a minor key hymn. With the short gospel-soul number "A Little Love Goes a Long Way," Ross marks a shift in tone, applying his textured jazz harmonies to several traditional songs. He begins with "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ" a swirling, ECM-esque track built around a repeated vocal mantra from his wife, trumpeter Laura Bibb. Theres also Betty Jackson Kings spiritual "Calvary," where he frames singer Ekep Nkwelles soulful melody with a shimmering, bluesy accompaniment. From here, he returns to his original songs, transforming James Baldwins poem "The Giver (For Berdis)" into a spare piano and vocal duet, featuring singer Andy Louis. He then summons the feeling of joyous rebirth on the boppish "The New Man," before sinking into the orchestral swell of Gods grace on the closing "Now & Forevermore." With Gospel Music, Ross has made an album that continually reaches for the divine. ~ Matt Collar