Amidst the backdrop of divisiveness, widespread violence, and angry agitating rhetoric, many of us have every reason to feel rather hopeless and disengaged. Saxophonist Jimmy Greene has more reasons than most of us, having lost his daughter to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT in 2012. Yet, Greene, as he’s done with two albums since then, chooses to push the negativity aside, bursting forth with his latest, the spiritually, deeply emotive While Looking Up. He’s guided by the inspirational words of his pastor: “If I’m not able to find strength or peace by looking inward,” he said, “or if I’m not able to do it by looking outward to my immediate surroundings, I have to look upward.”
Greene commemorated his daughter, Ana Marquez-Greene, with the Grammy-nominated 2014 Beautiful Life and 2017’s Flowers; Beautiful Life, Volume 2 but this represents a change of pace, hearkening back to his landmark 2009 Mission Statement. Greene reunites with some of the players from that project here, bringing aboard guitarist Lage Lund, bassist Reuben Rogers and vibraphonist Stefon Harris. He reached back to his 2008 The Overcomer’s Suite to work again with drummer Kendrick Scott and all the way back to his debut from over 20 years ago for pianist Aaron Goldberg. “Obviously a lot has happened over the last ten years in my life and in our world,” Greene said. “We’ve all grown and matured musically, and in all cases developed as bandleaders, too. So, I wanted to get everybody together and see what happened.”
Three pieces are adapted from an original orchestral suite, an indication that Greene has expanded his palette. Configurations vary too, from a chordless trio to quartets, quintets and sextets, mostly quintets sans Harris. Greene plays mostly tenor, some soprano and on “April 4th,” a joyful piece commemorating Ana’s birthday, he plays soprano. flute, clarinet, and bass clarinet. It’s one of only two tunes featuring the full sextet and the only on where Harris plays vibes. Harris plays marimba on the other, “Always There.”
The quintet begins with the Cole Porter classic “So In Love,” with Greene on soprano, propelled by a groove inspired in part by one of his earliest employers, legendary pianist Horace Silver. Greene switches to tenor, and Goldberg to Rhodes, for the ethereal blues “No Words,” which walks a haunting tightrope between the stark and the soulful.
The album moves along at a pensive, contemplative pace until “Overreaction,” where they find robust, muscular momentum, both in Lund’s guitar lines and Greene’s tenor. Goldberg’s gentle ostinato begins “Steadfast,” another vehicle for Greene’s superbly toned soprano that later gives way to intricate picking from Lund. The title track walks the line between the melancholy and hopeful but is preceded by the most unexpected piece, a cover of the smash Whitney Houston hit “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Greene’s treatment transforms the upbeat pop into a bittersweet ballad, inspired by reflecting on the less-than-cheerful lyrics through the lens of Houston’s own tragic life and sad fate. Greene coaxes soprano-like notes as well as deeply mournful ones from his tenor, delivering a clinic in tonality while the interplay of Lund and Goldberg is subtly gorgeous.
Much like giants before him like Rollins and Coltrane, Greene goes to a trio format for a moaning, heart-wrenching rendition “Good Morning Heartache,” his deepest expression of loss and grief. The set ends with the uplifting quartet piece “Simple Prayer,” a tune that echoes with the influence of the African American church, ultimately expressing spiritual hope.
“Music is a reflection of life,” Greene concluded. “At its best, music transforms us and transports us to another place. We lose ourselves in it. I’m convinced that there’s much more to be hopeful for than what we experience on a daily basis. So, I wanted this music to serve as a refuge from the harsh realities of this world, a place where you can temporarily lose yourself in something that’s beautiful and impactful, something that’s positive.”
What better time to lose oneself in music as much of our usual life pursuits take a back seat during this health pandemic. Every note that Greene plays rings with emotion. His tone alone is worth a concentrated listen. Take his advice and get lost in the music.
