There are two key ingredients that elevate North Carolina-based jazz artist Kennan Goodman from his peers, and they actually form the title of one of his finest compositions: “Light and Love." Light represents the forward-thinking vision that illuminates Goodman's most adventurous pieces, and love is the passion that fuels all of his performances. On his new album Love Solace, Goodman unites his openness to contemporary styles with an old-school commitment for superlative playing.
The opening track, “No Way Out," echoes Goodman's “Light" side. Stephen Gordon's electric drums gives the song a synthetic pulse. The tune's frenzied, pulsating groove, with Goodman's soaring trumpet as the nucleus of the whirlpool, produces a swirling atmosphere that is both intellectually stimulating and physically invigorating. There's enough explosive energy in this cut to scorch a dance club. Goodman's fiery trumpet and Gordon's jumpy drums similarly push the title track near electronica territory. “King of Hearts" flirts with a spacey, futuristic vibe that is more subdued but still with a progressive outlook.
Fittingly, perhaps no song that encapsulates the “Love" portion of Goodman's artistry than “Light and Love." Here, the dreamy romanticism of Goodman's trumpet conjures a hypnotic pull. It's as if the melodies emanating from Goodman's instrument are tracing the incandescent beauty of the stars; they sparkle like diamonds under the crescent glare of the moon. D'Juan Harris' keyboards glimmer with an ethereal charm all of their own.
The wealth of imagination and emotion in Love Solace is something to be treasured; not even the passing of years will rust its timeless gorgeousness.
The opening track, “No Way Out," echoes Goodman's “Light" side. Stephen Gordon's electric drums gives the song a synthetic pulse. The tune's frenzied, pulsating groove, with Goodman's soaring trumpet as the nucleus of the whirlpool, produces a swirling atmosphere that is both intellectually stimulating and physically invigorating. There's enough explosive energy in this cut to scorch a dance club. Goodman's fiery trumpet and Gordon's jumpy drums similarly push the title track near electronica territory. “King of Hearts" flirts with a spacey, futuristic vibe that is more subdued but still with a progressive outlook.
Fittingly, perhaps no song that encapsulates the “Love" portion of Goodman's artistry than “Light and Love." Here, the dreamy romanticism of Goodman's trumpet conjures a hypnotic pull. It's as if the melodies emanating from Goodman's instrument are tracing the incandescent beauty of the stars; they sparkle like diamonds under the crescent glare of the moon. D'Juan Harris' keyboards glimmer with an ethereal charm all of their own.
The wealth of imagination and emotion in Love Solace is something to be treasured; not even the passing of years will rust its timeless gorgeousness.
