Giant Step Arts keeps taking giant steps (sorry!) in recorded jazz, dropping this exemplary “supergroup” project as 2024 was closing. This quartet The Fury brings together four important names in current jazz, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, guitarist Lage Lund, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Tyshawn Sorey. All four seem to have checked what egos they have at the door and played a glowing live set at Brooklyn’s Ornithology club in the summer of 2023.
There are so many tenor sax players in jazz today, but Mark Turner (whose first ever leader date was the inaugural Giant Step release back in 2023) stands out for me because of his generally restrained and lyrical approach. This is true whether on Brewer’s lovely ballad “Of Our Time,” Lund’s anthemic “Couch” or his own skittering “Ender’s Game.” As you might note, the bulk of the concert was of originals by quartet members, with the exception of the opener, Myron Walden’s lovely “Like A Flower Seeking The Sun.” Lund penned three, which hold down tracks 4-6 and include “Jimbo” and “Vignette” in addition to “Couch.” The proceedings get more stretched out and funky as they proceed, finishing on Turner’s delightful “Sonnet For Stevie,” which one can only assume is an homage to Mr. Wonder. That and “Of Our Time” are my favorites but the whole disc is a superb example of accessible modern jazz.
I haven’t listened much to Lage Lund but that needs to change. His beautiful tones and his solos captivate, and his ensemble playing is exemplary. As for Brewer and Sorey, the two have played together in 
Sorey’s trio and it’s a real treat to focus on their interplay; “Couch” is a good example but really, just drop the needle anywhere.
Mark Turner is the common denominator between The Fury and Jason Palmer’s ensemble on The Cross Over: Live in Brooklyn, another Giant Step production that was recorded about the same time in August 2023 at Ornithology. And if Turner’s performance with Palmer is more focused, more of a piece with the modern improvisational type of tenor playing, it retains an openness and (for want of a better term) lack of aggression that I find appealing.
The Cross Over brings noted trumpeter and composer Palmer together with Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Marcus Gilmore on a double album of over two hours of compelling jazz. This is an ensemble that excels at stretching out and exploring a composition in full, as witnessed by the average running time of nearly 15 minutes for each of the nine tracks. It’s a testament to the musicians and also the composer that one’s interest never flags, even listening to the recording — what a live session this must have been!
One of my favorite things in jazz is the pairing of trumpet and tenor sax, which yields a synergy that to me is much greater than the sum of the parts. And there’s plenty of that here. The opening section of “For The Freedom Fighters” is a good example, with Palmer and Turner playing long lines in unison and harmony before breaking into solos. Likewise the closing track “More In Common,” an up-tempo bop that begins with an amazing solo from Gilmore followed by a lengthy horn duet.
There’s an explicit political bent to many of Palmer’s compositions. The opening track is titled “B.A.M.D.” for “budgets are moral documents,” and both the second track “Same Bird” and “More In Common” were inspired by Palmer’s view that as Americans we have more in common than it might seem from our political discourse. The spirited “One For Fannie Lou” is a tribute to activist Fannie Lou Townsend Hamer, who if you don’t know about her, you should. Other compositions pay tribute to Dr. Cornel West (“Do You Know Who YOU Are”), saxophone giant Wayne Shorter (“Beware Of Captain America”), and “For The Freedom Fighters” is subtitled “Those Who Fight To Keep The Dream Alive.” It’s also what’s called a contrafact of the standard “You Stepped Out of a Dream.”
Both of these albums are absolutely shining examples of modern jazz. Highly recommended.
(Giant Step Arts, 2024)
