Paul Nash was an accomplished jazz composer, arranger, guitarist, and educator who founded
the Manhattan New Music Project. When diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor (which eventually took his life in 2005),
Nash decided to wrap up his career by writing new works to put a stamp on his legacy, even if he never had the chance to hear them.
Jazz Cycles is the first of the two projects that he completed at the end of his life, recorded by
the Manhattan New Music Project only weeks before
Nash's passing. The septet includes trumpeter
Shane Endsley,
Bruce Williamson (tenor and soprano saxes), tenor saxophonist
Tim Ries, pianist
Jim Ridl, guitarist
Vic Juris, bassist
Jay Anderson, and drummer
Grisha Alexiev, all of whom bring life to
Nash's compelling pieces. A number of the songs segue directly into one another, with
Juris sometimes sounding like he is playing rock licks, an approach the composer himself favored at times. The brooding
"Wind Over the Lake," the driving
"Outside In," and the lush
"Starlit Skylight" are all highlights, though all of the music is worth investigating. Proceeds from the sale of
Jazz Cycles benefit the
Paul Nash Memorial Fund. ~ Ken Dryden
