Trumpeter
Abram Wilson, a post-
Wynton Marsalis young lion, mixes a heady brand of jazz and blues 50/50. Modern bop rhythms meld with biting harmonica riffs. Improvised sounds dance with hums and shouts from the mighty Mississippi. Lyrics speak of being dissatisfied with the status quo as instruments sing and shout for praise and acknowledgment. This is ostensibly a concept album depicting the story of a fictitious Albert Jenkins (
Wilson's alter ego,) who is bequeathed a jazz club by his late father. While respectful of the tradition and his elders, Jenkins/
Wilson leans toward hip-hop. He is torn between the two worlds, and expresses it on "I Want More for Me Than This," and especially during the lengthy belted out magnum opus "I Want It All."
Wilson, a displaced New Orleanian living in London, makes deft instrumental statements on the head-nodding swinger "You Already Home" and the poignant, serene "After the Storm." It's his personal and professional dilemma through a musical catharsis that is clear and evident. There's also hope and humor during "Life Ain't So Bad" and "Why You Guys Laughin'?" The choice and placement of each piece is well thought out, and tells the complete tale of Jenkins' plight from A to Z. Ride! Ferris Wheel to the Modern Day Delta, a sleeper for the general public, should be recognized as a major sociological statement for the times. It is poignant beyond concept and highly recommended. ~ Michael G. Nastos