Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Signal Quartet: Approaching

The Signal Quartet: Approaching

By James Aren
August 20, 2024
View read count

Signal Quartet is not afraid to get messy. You cannot make a musical omelette without cracking some eggs. Approaching has some cracked eggs along the way, but it contains some delicious moments.

The band features traditional jazz instrumentation—guitar, trumpet, bass and drums—but something makes it seem progressive. Each musician shows impressive mastery of their instrument.

Ben Wolkins

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Wolkins plays trumpet and flugelhorn with full-bodied warmth and dexterity. On guitar,

Ian Blunden

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Ian Blunden bounces between distortion and clean while seeming equally comfortable taking the lead or supporting the rest of the band.

Eric Nachtrab

bass, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric Nachtrab plays bass with great touch and flair.

Sean Perlmutter

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Sean Perlmutter provides great energy with his drumming and ties it all together. Each member handles their instrument extremely well. The music really cooks when they work off each other. Some of the songs have an experimental vibe which might lose some listeners.

Based in Detroit, the group has traveled extensively in the Midwest states. All four band members compose for the group. Signal Quartet works best when they create a sense of momentum, which they frequently do—many of this album's songs crackle with energy. Even the laid-back tunes possess momentum.

"For a Croc" is driven by crunchy guitar rhythms accented with clean trumpet lines active drums and bass creating strong momentum. As the song moves forward, the trumpet seems casual even loose but never loses direction.

The album starts with "Show Me Something Beautiful," which takes a long time to find a groove. "Yes, I Can Hear You," is a beautiful song with a laid-back groove with plenty of warm trumpet sounds. The third song resolves the tension of the first two songs. If the group wanted to play it safe, they could have stuck with this style for the entire album.

The guitar and the bass stretch out adeptly on a lovely song called "After the Match." The trumpet leads the way on a reflective tune "Ember." "The Less You Know" wanders but keeps the energy high. "A Visit from the Goon Squad" sounds like it lost the narrative and will leave all but the most adventurous listeners behind.

At its best, Approaching is beautiful and stirring. If the band continues to explore, they will create a great deal of great music. Things might get messy from time to time, but that is where the good stuff lives.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Show Me Something Beautiful; A Collarbone and Eight Ribs; Yes, I Can Hear You; After The Match; Ember; A Visit from the Goon Squad; For a Croc; The Less You Know; Approaching.

Personnel

Signal Quartet

band / ensemble / orchestra

Ben Wolkins

trumpet

Ian Blunden

guitar

Eric Nachtrab

bass, electric

Sean Perlmutter

drums

Album information

Title: Approaching | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Spiritual Slop Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Olivia Trummer Trio featuring Fabriz...
< Previous

Mahogany L. Browne, Sean Mason, Alis...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.