How Sweet It Is by Stillman, Loren Quartet

On this album Stillman shows a unique sense of melody with a refined tone like Paul Desmond or Stan Getz at the same time having a sophisticated harmonic knowledge equivalent to a Greg Osby and fluidity on the horn like Lee Konitz, one of his main influences. The compositions are highly original and each has it's own character. His compositions are as good as his playing and there are not many these days who have this combination. His improvisations don't wander as much as Konitz sometimes does and I like that. Unlike many of the cerebral players on the New York scene, Stillman hits you with emotion, harmony and sweetness of tone at the same time. ( How can you get noticed these days? The internet may or may not have leveled the playing field. In any case it seems you must clang people over the head these days in some way. But how?)

Loren Stillman shows so much facility as a young jazzman it's scary. The alto player's debut on the Nagel Heyer label may be one of the most accomplished in the history of jazz.He brings the whole package to the table: maturity of conception; lightly worn assimilation of the tradition; glorious tone; song writing genius; small band leadership.Here is a player who knows exactly what he wants and how to go about getting it. What does he want? Vehicles that enable him to express his astounding range as alto jazz saxophonist. How does he go about getting it? First, by selecting like-minded, totally tuned in, and remarkably deft band mates. I am familiar only with Jeff Hirshfield, a downtown drummer of some note who has played with the likes of Tim Berne, Play Bley, and Mitchel Formanek. He casually exhibits that free-flowing, pulse-oriented approach that characterizes the best of the young drummers. Actually, I believe I own bassist Scott Lee's disc, With Ease, mistakenly having purchased it thinking it was a recording by Gordon Lee, an artist who released a disc called Land Whales in New York, featuring Jim Pepper--but that's another story. Ross Lossing has a trio disc out on the Double Time label, Dreamer, but I've only heard samples of it, which sound very promising. These three players, whom the leader makes no bones about regarding as a band, mesh and interact with astonishing facility.That all the numbers on this disc spring from the pen of the leader is nothing short of amazing. Most of them sound like instant classics. Their range nearly renders the listener speechless. It's not as if he's saying, here, see what I can do with a bossa nova or a free jazz piece or a blues; it's more like he just happens, at the callow age of 23, to have effortlessly mastered almost the entire range of jazz song composition and expression.About his tone. He favors a bright, rich tone, not the pinched, sour approach characteristic of many of his alto contemporaries. This enables him to achieve a much broader range of expression than is typical among serious jazz saxophonists. Yet with all his tonal richness and breadth, he manages to completely eschew the saccharine approach of a David Sanborn or Kenny G.Musicality, listenability, beauty are what this disc is all about. Thoroughly modern yet utterly conversant with the Tradition, How Sweet It Is marks the debut of perhaps the next giant of the alto saxophone. Absolute highest recommendation.

I had the pleasure of reviewing this disk for Cadence Magazine, in which I am a regular reviewer. To say that I was totally blown away is an understatement. I saw him play at the Cornelia Street Cafe here in NYC and he is even better live. Russ Lossing on piano and Scott Lee on bass are both quite older and have stayed with Stillman for 6 years, which is saying something. Jeff Hirshfield is new to the band, but see below.Stillman has created his own musical world through his compositions on this record. The pieces are by turns extraordinarily beautiful, harrowing, moving, you name it. He has a strong hold on the concept of form and motivic development. Lossing is totally in touch with what Stillman is looking for (not a surprise) and Lee provides much more than a mere walking bass, being a true melodic player who, with Hirshfield, provides an extremely elastic pulse. Furthermore, every note that comes out of Stillman's horn has a purpose and a direction.I won't go through all of the tracks, but I found "Meat" to be an extremely moving ballad of the depth of "'Round Midnight", but, of course sounding nothing like it. "How Sweet It Is" is one of Stillman's hymns - a very simple and very pretty tune, only to be followed by "Meat Snake" which is a driving, exhilirating, almost terrifying musical journey.You simply must get this disk and see why Joe Lovano said, "His future, in my opinion, is so bright it's almost blinding." It will not leave your player or your mind.

We had the pleasure of happening on a performance by Loren Stillman in Edinburgh, Scotland, this past October (2003), where he featured "How Sweet It Is." He was so good that we went the next night to hear him do it again. On returning home, I bought the CD, which I play almost endlessly. The pieces are beautiful, the playing by Stillman and his band stunning. The guy is quite a talent, even if he is virtually unknown.Check out his web page for more on his other CDs: Lorenstillman.com