Imaginary Sketches

Album Review

Trumpeter/flügelhornist Chad McCullough's third CD for Origin features mostly different personnel, retaining drummer John Bishop and adding pianist Bram Weijters (who is jointly credited as leader on the cover) and bassist Chuck Deardorf, with the leader and Weijters contributing most of the material. McCullough's melancholy "Imaginary Folk Song" has more of a classical feeling, a waltz that has been modified into a jazz setting, with a brooding air that showcases the composer's rich flügelhorn and Weijters' elegant piano. His "Late Night, Long Drive" has a melancholy mood, a spacious ballad full of emotion. Weijters penned several songs, including the funky "Free as Poetry," which would get any crowd on its feet; "Another Dark Ballad," which showcases Deardorf extensively; and the breezy post-bop vehicle "Speeding." This successful studio date indicates the growing ranks of talented jazz musicians in the Pacific Northwest, a favorite focus of Origin for many of its releases.