Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Isrea Butler: Congo Lament

Isrea Butler: Congo Lament

By Jack Bowers
October 13, 2024
View read count

After decades gigging as a sideman with some of the USA's most renowned big bands, trombonist

Isrea Butler

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Isrea Butler has finally recorded his debut album, Congo Lament, inviting tenor saxophonist and celebrated

Count Basie

piano
1904 - 1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Count Basie Orchestra soloist

Doug Lawrence

saxophone, tenor
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Doug Lawrence to share the front line in his quintet.

All but one of the album's seven numbers was introduced on tenor 0

Ike Quebec

saxophone, tenor
1918 - 1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Ike Quebec's album Easy Living, recorded in 1962, which featured one of Florida-born Butler's musical exemplars, trombonist

Bennie Green

trombone
1923 - 1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Bennie Green. The other is the standard "Pennies from Heaven." Butler updates each of them splendidly, with sturdy support from Lawrence, pianist David Loeb, bassist

Steve Flora

bass, acoustic
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Flora and drummer

" data-original-title="" title="">Robert "Bob" Chmel.

Even so, the original bop-centered vibe remains fairly intact, which is squarely in Butler's and Lawrence's wheelhouse. Loeb is no slouch there either, as he shows on the playful "I.Q. Shuffle," melodious "Pennies from Heaven" and elsewhere, while Flora and Chmel provide an unerring rhythmic compass. Notable as he is on the burners, Lawrence is even more polished and persuasive on the mellow "Easy Living," on which Butler also sparkles. From there, the group slides easily into the quasi-Latin rhythmic charmer, "B.G.'s Groove," and cheerful "Pennies from Heaven."

The assertive "Que's Pills" offers more of the same (with spirited solos by Lawrence, Butler and Loeb leading to crisp four-bar exchanges with Chmel), as does the seductive, blues-soaked finale, Ma Rainey's "See See Rider." While none of the songs on Congo Lament is less than half a century old, that serves only to prove that well-designed and engaging music has no expiration date. A splendid coming out party for Isrea Butler and his agile teammates.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Congo Lament; I.Q. Shuffle; Easy Living; B.G.'s Groove; Pennies from Heaven; Que's Pills; See See Rider.

Personnel

Isrea Butler

trombone

David Loeb

piano

Steve Flora

bass, acoustic

Robert "Bob" Chmel

drums

Douglas Lawrence

saxophone, tenor

Album information

Title: Congo Lament | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Vegas Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Benny Golson, Orrin Evans, Logan Ric...
< Previous

Rachelle Ferrell, Kevin Mahogany, Ch...
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.