Contextualizin' Reviewed in IAJRC Journal

Although Contexualizin' has been out since February, every so often a new review will trickle in, which is great, since the CD was close to a year in the making (from rehearsals to recording to mixing to package design to duplication to mailing to promos to release show)--so it's nice to be reminded people are still checking it out (even if it's a staggering 4 months of age).This review is from Stuart Kremsky of the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors, writing in the IAJRC Journal. (I wish I'd had the budget to press some actual records and hear myself on vinyl--maybe next time.) Mr. Kremsky has a reputation as a very choosy listener, so it's especially gratifying to get his recommendation. Here's the review:

The Ian Carey Quintet impresses right off the bat with Tom/Tom, the opening track of Contextualizin’. Trumpeter Carey negotiates the tricky head with graceful ease, and his succinct solo grows directly out of the theme. Altoist Evan Francis, pianist Adam Shulman, bassist Fred Randolph, and drummer Jon Arkin flow into the groove too. This bright and cheerful song is just the first example of this quintet’s thoughtful, coherent approach to post-bop small group jazz, honed by considerable time on the bandstand at the band’s long-running San Francisco gig...

Carey wrote all the tunes, save for one standard. Their version of Just Friends is loose and free, with simultaneous soloing by Carey and Francis to open while Arkin pulls out the brushes to kick them along. Shulman’s piano solo is attractively swinging and rhythmically sly, finally stating the theme at the end, which leads to another passage of collective improvisation. In his helpful liner notes, Carey offers little hints about the songs’ structures, but you don’t really need to know that Disinvited is an exercise in continual variation or that Shake & Joe started as a melody on only the white keys of a piano to enjoy these performances. Tom Harrell is an obvious inspiration for Carey, who tosses off one superb solo after the other.In addition to the winning performances and the sheer pleasure of hearing a band that works together with such easy-going precision, Contextualizin’ is one of those rare discs that actually gets better as it goes along. By the seventh track on most albums, even the best ones, you’ve got a pretty good idea of the music’s range, but Carey must have a trumpet case full of tunes because he’s still got new tricks to reveal towards the end. There are a lot of releases of small group jazz, so here’s hoping that this one won’t get lost in the shuffle. I almost missed it myself until the publicist urged me to hear it. She was right. Highest recommendation!