Echoes Of The Inner Prophet is the second Blue Note release by Melissa Aldana. The saxophonist and composer gained significant acclaim not only for her compositions but for the colorful arrangements and harmonious textures delivered by her quintet on her debut 12 Stars. Also, the Chilean-born, NYC-based Aldana continues to forge a special musical partnership with her co-producer and guitarist Lage Lund, a vital member of her quintet that appears again on this effort. Lund and pianist Fabian Almazan are both credited with effects and Lund’s special postproduction skills are even more prominent on this project. The bass-drum tandem of Pablo Menares and Kush Abadey also remains intact. Aldana, hailed in her earlier years as a major acolyte of Sonny Rollins continues to embrace his improvisational voice but is increasingly turning to the colorful, probing compositions of Wayne Shorter, a bit of Charles Lloyd’s searching spirituality, and Mark Tuner’s sense of harmonics. Those elements, combined with her own introspective evolution and the blending of acoustic and electronic textures, produces a quiet intensity.
The title track, though original, nods to Shorter with its undulating waves of shifting colors and use of space. Those effects from Lund and Almazan are prominent enough to suggest a quiet tune from Weather Report. In fact, the next three compositions, “Unconscious Whispers,” and “Story,” (where Lund and Aldana are locked in to the point of finishing the other’s sentence) unfold as pensive sonic paintings that emphasize a collective group interplay, with an exploratory, contemporary approach that eschews the convention of head-solo-solo-head. Even when any musician in the quintet has the lead voice, it’s not the typical standalone solo as the accompanying musicians surround that voice with swirling textures. “The Solitary Seeker” on the other hand, has some of both, with expressive statements from Aldana, Lund, and Almazan over a kinetic rhythmic undercurrent. The music is deeply transportive and at times has a mesmerizing trance-like effect. Veteran recording engineer James Farber does a sterling mixing job.
“Ritual,” penned by Menares whose bass line is prominent, rings with the Brazilian tinges of singer-songwriter Guinga, with Aldana perfectly comfortable in her emulative light, floating lines. “A Purpose,” by contrast is far more declarative and sterner from the opening notes forward. Lund wrote “I Know You Know” which glows with a joyous, buoyant melody, most expressive playing, and sequences of sustained chords and spaces prevalent throughout the album. Perhaps the most definitive track for this rather signature quintet sound is “Cone of Silence,” dedicated to Farber a nod to Aldana’s own soundproof practice booth in her NYC apartment and a clip of the classic “Cone of Silence” from the ‘60s sitcom Get Smart. It’s the essence of the dramatic, headed into the inner depths tunes that characterize this project. Yet, the album sometimes seems too deep and aesthetic, suffering from ‘sameness.” It could benefit from injections of energy, the kind we get in portions of “Solitary Seeker” and “I Know You Know.” That would give it a better balance.
By parts gorgeous, challenging, and soothing Aldana continues to deeply carve her soul-searching path.
