Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Emmet Cohen: Uptown In Orbit

Emmet Cohen: Uptown In Orbit

By Mike Jurkovic
October 12, 2022
View read count

Pianist/composer/educator/impresario

Emmet Cohen

piano
b.1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Emmet Cohen has proven himself time and time again to be one of the guiding lights of 21st century jazz. And he may have/could have single-handedly saved our collective sanity and jazz's continued rise and relevance when, in the face of a world plague, he began streaming Live From Emmet's Place from his apartment in Harlem. First it was Cohen and his trusty trio mates, bassist

Russell Hall

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Russell Hall and drummer

Kyle Poole

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Kyle Poole. Then the sessions expanded to include such wondrous world talents as

Veronica Swift

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Veronica Swift,

Cyrille Aimée

vocals
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Cyrille Aim��e,

Joy F. Brown

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Joy F. Brown,

Joe Lovano

drums
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Lovano, and

Buster Williams

bass, acoustic
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Buster Williams; and, the list goes on and on. Add to that his Masters Legacy recordings with

George Coleman

saxophone, tenor
b.1935

" data-original-title="" title="">George Coleman,

Ron Carter

bass
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Carter,

Jimmy Cobb

drums
1929 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Cobb,

Albert Tootie Heath

drums
1935 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Tootie Heath and

Benny Golson

saxophone, tenor
1929 - 2024

" data-original-title="" title="">Benny Golson, and you have the template of a talent determined keep the music deep and real.

Which Uptown in Orbit, without any doubt, does. Following his adventures in stride on his Mack Avenue debut Future Stride (2021) Cohen doubles down and celebrates not only tradition, while producer Poole utilizes an old school tape machine for

Willie Smith

keyboards

" data-original-title="" title="">Willie Smith's "Finger Buster" and the performance breaks from the gate with an exuberance that is hard to match. All this may aid and abet the survival of those we love, of those we trust, of the music and the muse itself. "Uptown in Orbit," itself an invigorating nod to

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington's Blues In Orbit (Columbia, 1960) hurls itself like a thunderstorm as guest saxophonist Patrick Bartley howls gleefully after fellow guest, trumpeter

Sean Jones

trumpet
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Sean Jones' soaring glissandos.

It only gets better from there as Uptown in Orbitblossoms into a year end best of the best. Recorded at Sear Sound in midtown, the album equally serves as a vessel for new energy from all involved, as well Cohen's dedication to the past. "My Love Will Come Again," a tender Cohen original with a playfully somber Jones highlight reel solo, could elicit a scrambling through the back catalogues of many of the great songwriters to see who wrote these gems. The tune moves with its own nostalgic energy yet never looks back. The pianist's wickedly delightful stride/pop "Spillin' the Tea" can light up a day. Hall and Poole, always limber and nimble, are particularly so on this one. Hall's "The Loneliest" is a sly, late night blues with Bartley and Jones languidly slipping and sliding along.

The brief "Uptown in Orbit (Reprise)" might strike some as a self congratulatory pat-on-the-back, but let us chalk that up to youthful impetuousness and move on to the three rousing covers that take Uptown in Orbit home.

Cedar Walton

piano
1934 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Cedar Walton's jumping "Mosaic" blows in at a percolating pace setting the stage for a swinging revival of "Venus de Milo" by

Gerry Mulligan

saxophone, baritone
1927 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerry Mulligan and a robust investigation of Ellington's "Braggin' In Brass," finds Cohen ranging across his piano like a man possessed. Great stuff.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Finger Buster; Uptown in Orbit; My Love Will Come Again; Spillin' the Tea; Li'l Darlin'; The Loneliest; Uptown in Orbit(Reprise); Distant Hallow; Mosaic; Venus de Milo; Braggin' in Brass.

Personnel

Emmet Cohen

piano

Russell Hall

bass

Kyle Poole

drums

Patrick Bartley Jr

saxophone

Sean Jones

trumpet

Album information

Title: Uptown In Orbit | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Mack Avenue Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Philip Glass Solo Piano
< Previous

The Optimal Evolution of Amersfoort ...
Next >

Emmet Cohen Concerts

Sep 30 Tue

Emmet Cohen Trio

Birdland
New York, NY

Sep 30 Tue

Emmet Cohen Trio

Birdland
New York, NY

Oct 1 Wed

Emmet Cohen Trio

Birdland
New York, NY

Oct 1 Wed

Emmet Cohen Trio

Birdland
New York, NY

Oct 2 Thu

Emmet Cohen Trio

Birdland
New York, NY

Oct 2 Thu

Emmet Cohen Trio

Birdland
New York, NY

Oct 3 Fri

Emmet Cohen Trio

Birdland
New York, NY

Oct 3 Fri

Emmet Cohen Trio

Birdland
New York, NY

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.