Downbeat - Album Review: The Chase - Jon Ross

Publication Date: June 23, 2014

Author: Jon Ross

4 STARS -The Chase, the 17-piece David White Jazz Orchestra’s follow-up to 2011’s Flashpoint, explodes out of the starting block. On the first tune, “Mister Shepherd’s Misadventures,” the sizzling, articulated melody—which is played at a blistering pace by the saxophone section, backed by trumpet accents—sets a relentless pace for the rest of the album. The hard-driving, madcap pace moves below the surface for the gospel-tinged “And The People Could Fly”—propulsive drums and a percussive piano ostinato needle on a reflective melody. While this soaring passage is passed around the ensemble, the rest of the group blends together perfectly, providing a delicate background.

White, on trombone, weaves compositions that use his band in equal measure. As a trombonist, he seems to have no great bias toward brass, and in fact, some of the best writing on the album is given to the woodwinds, who serve as the base layer for saucy, uptempo numbers like “Persistence” and “The Shakedown.” White’s ability to write pieces with many moving parts makes the majority of The Chase’s tunes exciting and enjoyable. —Jon Ross  ★★★★