Bixler, David
rpr, 2020, CD
Instrument: Saxophone
Issue: 26.2
Jazz Ruler Type: Ballads, Blues
Performance: 4
Sound: 4
Score: 79
O’s Notes: Alto saxophonist and composer David Bixler combines his quintet (Bixtet) with a string quartet for Blended Lineage, a four-part introspective suite that speaks of tribes through instrumentation. Tribalism could be troubling in today’s environment but Bixler takes an optimistic approach. We liked the two middle tracks, “Motherland” without strings, and “Trenches” where the blending of the nine musicians is rich and engaging. Our favorite is the finale “My Soul Swoons Slowly” with the strings bathing Bixler’s warm melody.
Publicist: Red Cat Publicity
