John Fedchock NY Sextet lays down good blend of solo and collective excellence
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Desirable outcomes in studio recording sessions usually mean that the material is known well in advance to the parti John Fedchock leads a unified sextet cipants and the bandleader structures it in such a way that solos, accompaniment, and ensemble passages seem soldered into place. I like when, from moment to moment, everyone seems to be focused on presenting a musical object more than foregrounding "expression." That's the impression I pick up from "Into the Shadows" ( Summit Records) , the latest recording by the John Fedchock NY Sextet. And that doesn't have to mean the jazz that results seems cut-and-dried — a simple triumph of planning. Trombonist-bandleader Fedchock has created arrangements for himself and five colleagues that maintain pulse and momentum while giving us something as solid and functionally appropriate as a well-made chair. To take from the album the clearest link to the tradition of great jazz sextets, "Alpha Dog" is an ea