Robert's Review of Paul Aston Group at Exactly Where I am at this Moment , 6/15/99

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The Paul Aston Group is a five piece Contemporary Improvisational Chamber Jazz group led by acoustic bass player and composer Paul Aston. The album is a finely produced 64 minutes of wonderful music that provides a sweet tropic atmosphere to any room. At times delicate or fiery but the tunes have just enough groove to keep up the flow. A pleasant summer treat that wears well on the audio palette.

The lead work by Aston never suffers from overuse and is complemented by the sweet soprano of Steve Sacks and the piano runs of Alan Simon. Meanwhile Guilherme Franco on percussion and John Bruschini join Aston to supply an expressive rhythm underpinning for the songs. The album opens with the Aston bass playing suggestively over the steamy percussion of Franco until the soprano sax comes and the band settles into a groove. The tune transforms itself over time through a hot drum solo and rhythmic bass solo before returning to the groove. The song is brings back memories of the Flying Dutchmen days of Gato Barbieri but with a sweet bird's song instead of the cat's growl. Other highlights include the hypnotic "Courage My Love" and the weaving sax line of "Flying Time". There are no weak songs on the album that closes with the title song "Exactly where I am at the Moment" and a dance version of "Courage My Love."

Aston has done a lot of media work and you can feel the supportive nature of the music that at times seems to be setting the scene for a Brazilian beach or a modern dance. Pianist Alan Simon has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Thoots Theilemans, and Lee Konitz. Steve Sacks has played with the Talking Heads, Airto Moreira, Tito Puente and Paquitio d' Rivera. John Bruschini has played guitar with Cecil Taylor and Mose Allison. And Guilherme Franco is an old favorite of mine from his days with Keith Jarrett, Gato Barbieri, and McCoy Tyner.

Check out this album is you like the ensemble work of Gato or Jarrett. It will be played.



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