Trumpetist Alessi turns in a stunning set with this intelligent and well-played collection of cuts. Gathering assistance from Don Byron and Jason Moran (as well as lesser-known talents like the rhythm section of Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits), the substantial group at work here is blessed with an accordingly meaty set of compositions. Alessi takes his Ellingtonia seriously (even reworking “Mahalia”), and the pieces here are similarly evocative in tone, yet intimate in delivery. However, rather than take a retroactive approach to his compositions, Alessi pushes his style forward and tracks like “Oversoul pt. 1” and “Expectations” are decidedly modern. Though the readings that accompany “I Am A Cowboy in The Boat of Ra” (based on Ishmael Reed’s poem) are a bit cumbersome, they detract little from the tight perfection of “This Against That”.
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2003.