Forward Motion (2011)
Russ Johnson – trumpet
Quinsin Nachoff – tenor sax
Adrean Farrugia – fender rhodes
Mark Kelso – drums
Forward Motion (Mythology Records, 2011) features trumpeter Russ Johnson, keyboardist Adrean Farrugia on Fender Rhodes, and drummer Mark Kelso.
With no bass, the Fender Rhodes anchors the harmony, providing both weight and propulsion beneath the interplay of trumpet and tenor saxophone. The eight compositions move between funk-inflected grooves and tightly woven counterpoint, with rhythmic breaks opening into less predictable harmonic territory. Influences from jazz, classical, rock, and fusion are absorbed into a language that remains cohesive across shifting textures and forms.
“Funky, passionate and intellectually probing, Nachoff is the total package.”
—Glen Hall, Exclaim!
“Splendid examples of imagination, wit and daring, yet showing keen understanding of jazz traditions.”
—Geoff Chapman, The WholeNote
“A world that spans jazz and pop inflection to create something at once familiar and ‘wondrous strange.’”
—David Olds, The WholeNote