Kono, Ben
Chamber Music America, 2024, CD
Instrument: Saxophone
Issue: 30.4
Jazz Ruler Type: Fusion
Performance: 4
Sound: 3
Score: 82
O’s Notes: Saxophonist Ben Kono surrounds himself with first call talent on Voyages, his third album as a leader. Pete McCann (g), Mike Holober (keyboards), Jared Schonig (d), and Matt Clohesy (b) are elements of his standard quintet, accentuated with strings from Sara Caswell (violin), Meg Okura (violin), Lois Martin (viola), and Jody Redhage Ferber (cello). The strings add passion and depth to Kono’s original compositions. The music is centered on the voyages of immigrants and depicts the challenges they encountered on their journey, and through generations, most notably on the four-part “Generations Suite”.
Publicist: Red Cat Publicity
