You’re probably tiring of the “resurgence of jazz,” “jazz now in the hands of creative, young talents,” and phrases that try to capture the excitement of what jazz is right now. Surely, though, the beat must go on. You may have already seen vibraphonist Joel Ross’s name adorning such projects as the widely acclaimed Makaya McCraven’s Universal Beings, Walter Smith III & Matthew Stevens In Common, Blue Note sensation James Francies Flight, or Marquis Hill’s Modern Flows, Vol. 2. All of those were issued just last year but now in 2019 Joel Ross extends the storied Blue Note label’s legacy of vibraphonists from Milt Jackson to Bobby Hutcherson to Stefon Harris and now Ross with his debut, Kingmaker. Ross is already part of the 2019 Newport Jazz Festival lineup, a major achievement for any musician, let alone a 23 year-old.
Bassist Harish Raghaven produces the album that features Ross’s collection of friends, his Good Vibes band. They are Immanuel Wilkins (alto sax), Jeremy Corren (piano), Benjamin Tiberio (bass), and Jeremy Dutton (drums). Vocalist Gretchen Parlato takes her turn on one track, “Freda’s Disposition.” Eleven of the dozen were penned by Ross with a major focus on family. The centerpiece and title track is dedicated to his mother while others nod to his twin brother, father, and niece. Hutcherson passed down personal wisdom to Ross, saying, “Write music about your life and write every day.” Ross took those words to heart and so every song is about people, events, or words that influenced him. Not only that, listen carefully to hear the many who have shaped his sound, from the interplay of Miles and Wayne, to the deft touch of Bags, to Harris’s use of harmonics, to rhythms found in the music of Steve Coleman, to the unexpected kind of concepts favored by trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire.
Throughout the vibraphone is front and center, supported by but never outshone by the ensemble playing or solos from Wilkins and Corren. You’ll also hear references to Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet which is the usual fare for his combos and large ensembles. That sound is apparent as early as the second track, “Prince Lynn’s Twin.” “The Grand Struggle Against Fear” features nice interplay between Ross and Corren before Wilkins enters with an impassioned solo. The single, “III Relations” lies somewhere between Hutcherson and Ornette as Ross and Corren offer counterpoint to Wilkins’ searing alto and free form exploration.
“It is Love That Inspires You” has some fine work from Dutton and Tiberio, dialoguing well with Ross, whose mallets are seemingly on every metal bar. The title track features plenty of changes and strong ensemble work from the Good Vibes. Grammy nominee, remarkably clear-voiced Parlato graces “Freda’s Disposition.” Parlato has worked with jazz royalty, Hancock and Shorter, to name just two so it’s a quite a coup to have her come aboard. “With Whom Do You Learn Trust’ is a spirited piece while “Grey” is contemplative. There’s a bit more joy, and again nice collaborative work between Ross and Dutton, on “Yana,” which we’re conjecturing is about Ross’s niece or one of his three sisters. “It’s Already Too Late” closes with each band member getting a brief turn.
Briefly, here’s a bit more on Ross who grew up in a close family with a twin brother and three sisters. His parents were police officers in a quiet South Side Chicago neighborhood. His dad was a choir director who had his sons sitting in at church before they were old enough at 10 to join the school band. Joel was the younger twin and assigned by default to xylophone while his brother played drums. Ross later became one of the first students at the city’s first public arts high school, Chicago High School for the Arts. Through the school’s partnership with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Ross met high school students from around the country, got to jam with Herbie Hancock in 2013 and through Gerald Clayton, met Akinmusire. Not understanding the latter’s music initially, Ross dug in.
Ross never had a dedicated vibraphone teacher until he met Stefan Harris at a festival. Harris invited him to try out for his Brubeck Institute of Jazz Quintet at the University of Pacific, which Ross won. “Stefon completely revamped my technique,” says Ross. “We were also learning his (now-famous) ear-training method, applying emotions to chords and hearing harmony in new ways. I figured out how I wanted to sound.” From there Ross transferred to the New School, formed his Good Vibes unit with friends he met in contest, camps, and gigs. He now resides in Brooklyn, and is well on his way. As the saying goes, the future is now.
