Review Text
2019 release. JD Allen's eighth recording for Savant Records finds the wildly inventive saxophonist returning to the sax-bass-drums format playing with his usual sizzling intensity and unveiling new works which challenge preconceptions while engaging the listeners rather than alienating them. His colleagues, Ian Kenselaar and Nic Cacioppo are with him every step of the way, reveling in the exploratory compositions of their leader and rising to the challenges they bring. JD Allen was hailed by New York Times jazz critic Ben Ratliff as, "a tenor saxophonist with an enigmatic, elegant and hard-driving style," He has be the winner of Downbeat, JazzTimes & NPR polls in categories including NPR's Best Jazz of the Year, Tenor Saxophonist of the Year, Composer of the Year and Rising Star of the Year.
