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Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: A Thousand Pebbles

By Jack Bowers
March 26, 2023
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Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project: A Thousand Pebbles

This is music for the open-minded. On A Thousand Pebbles, his fourth album as leader, New York-based pianist & accordionist Ben Rosenblum's seven-member Nebula Project traverses a number of musical landscapes, from Bulgaria to Brazil, Ireland to Israel, and realms beyond, offering a pleasurable smorgasbord of contemporary jazz that is always engaging and never shopworn.

Rosenblum the composer wrote all of the album's eleven numbers save one,

Antonio Carlos Jobim

piano
1927 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Antonio Carlos Jobim & Chico Baurque's melodious "Song of the Sabia," and each of his themes is bright and charming. The centerpiece is the four-movement "Thousand Pebbles" suite, which blends several of Rosenblum's influences, from the Hebrew synagogue to progressive jazz-rock, into a savory and consistently surprising stew.

Another highlight is the upbeat finale, "Implicit Attitude," a straight-on swinger based on the

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis &

Gil Evans

composer / conductor
1912 - 1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Gil Evans classic "Boplicity." Rosenblum plays piano on that one, underlining persuasive statements by trumpeter

Wayne Tucker

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Tucker, bass clarinetist

Jasper Dutz

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Jasper Dutz and drummer

Ben Zweig

drums
b.1992

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Zweig. The ensemble unwraps the session with the frisky "Catamaran," whose extended intro by Rosenblum's piano leads to a smooth-flowing midsection and accordion-driven Irish jig.

"Bulgares," which follows, elicits a buoyant Middle Eastern vibe, with Rosenblum on accordion and Tucker's trumpet in the foreground. Following the "Pebbles" suite,

Marty Jaffe

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Marty Jaffe's arco bass introduces "The Bell from Europe," a solemn requiem with Israeli nuances. "The Village Steps" raises the tempo and the heat (behind crisp solos by Dutz on alto and Rosenblum on accordion) before the calm, colorful "Lilian" (on which Jaffe excels) leads to "Song of the Sabia."

Guitarist

Rafael Rosa

guitar
b.1985

" data-original-title="" title="">Rafael Rosa and percussionist

Xavier Del Castillo

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Xavier Del Castillo round out the septet, which is solid and in step on every number. Within the ever-widening boundaries of contemporary jazz, A Thousand Pepples has found a niche that is both charming and comfortable.

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Track Listing

Catamaran; Bulgares; A Thousand Pebbles (Intro/Road to Recollection/The Gathering/Living Streams); The Bell from Europe; The Village Steps; Lilian; Song of the Sabia; Implicit Attitude.

Personnel

Ben Rosenblum

piano

Wayne Tucker

trumpet

Jasper Dutz

saxophone, alto

Rafael Rosa

guitar

Xavier Del Castillo

saxophone

Marty Jaffe

bass

Ben Zweig

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Wayne Tucker: flugelhorn; Jasper Dutz; bass clarinet, alto flute; Xavier Del Castillo: tenor saxophone, flute; Ben Rosenblum: piano; Rafael Rosa: guitar; Marty Jaffe: bass; Ben Zweig: percussion.

Album information

Title: A Thousand Pebbles | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Self Produced

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