Clarence Penn's 2012 album,
Dali in Cobble Hill, is a rhythmically and harmonically varied date conceptualized around the fanciful notion of painter Salvador Dali taking a walk through
Penn's Brooklyn neighborhood.
Penn evokes the disjointed surrealism of Dali with some original compositions that include several propulsive, high-energy cuts, as well as a few more sparse, atmospheric, and stream-of-consciousness arrangements. Adding to the high level of craft exhibited on
Dali in Cobble Hill is
Penn's choice of sidemen here: saxophonist
Chris Potter, guitarist
Adam Rogers, and bassist
Ben Street. The rounded tone of
Rogers' amplified guitar set against
Potter's bright but full-sounding tenor sax helps give the ensemble a unified sound out front, while
Penn and
Street fill in the layers underneath them. To these ends, the band flies through the frenetic Afro-Cuban/drum'n'bass-inflected "The B 6 1 "; floats together through the languid atmosphere of "A Walk on the B-H-P," and spars jauntily over the midtempo swing of "Solato's Morning Blues."
Penn is one of the most accomplished and in-demand sideman of his generation, and it’s always a joy to hear him leading his own ensemble. These are adroit, fluid, and virtuosic post-bop tracks that should appeal to fans of the cerebral, adventurous jazz that just skirts the avant-garde while remaining firmly grounded in the straight-ahead jazz tradition. ~ Matt Collar