Jerome Slow Walks to Greatness
his most fully realized album
Jerome Sabbagh's latest offering opens with a simmering, slow cooker of a cover of Duke Ellington's groundbreaking "Prelude To A Kiss". Sabbagh takes the ballad at a halting, note by note pace that explores the unique melodic line's contours, while veteran drummer Al Foster does likewise, leaving gaping spaces in between minimalist cymbal and skin hits. Paced so slowly, it startles, then you realize it's actually strongly swinging on Joe Martin's walking bass lines.
You are not to be forgiven if at first you think not much is happening and the music never comes to a boil. So much is—every deliberate note, one at a time, delivered by Sabbagh on tenor sax, Joe Martin on bass and veteran drummer Al Foster.
While the pace picks up somewhat on a few tunes including a slinky cover of Wayne Shorter's "ESP", the overall vibe is laid back yet insistent— pay attention to Al Foster's doings on "Gone With the Wind" and you'll hear time keeping on a symphonic level. Each Foster cymbal strike is a wonder unto itself floating in space, the attack so cleanly rendered and carefully considered. His stick work on the snare edge (if that's where he's tapping) is simultaneously delicate and edge of your seat intense though it results in relaxation into the groove.
And hear it clearly you will! James Farber's "old school" instrument placement recalls RVG's early stereo work (though the delicacy and subtlety of the sound bests the old optometrist in most every way), putting Sabbagh on the left channel, bassist Joe Martin center stage and Al Foster in the right channel—all three deliciously liquid, delicate and three-dimensional set against a dead black backdrop. You'll want to hear each of these three players separately (as well as together, of course). What Sabbagh coaxes from his horn on the group's "Right the First Time" is a harmonic and textural wonder.
Slinky, sexy, devilishly deliberate and slyly conceived and played, Heart is to be savored through repeated listens until you need to play it some more. It will spoil your system.
Back in April Sabbagh emailed about the album:
"The first record on Analog Tone Factory is one of mine. It’s a trio record called “Heart”, with Joe Martin on bass and the legendary Al Foster on drums. You heard some of it at the Stenheim event in New York. It’s a project that I have been working on for a long time. Al Foster is my favorite living drummer and this record is the culmination of a twelve year process that started with my sitting in on one of Al’s gigs at Smoke in New York. It was recorded live to two track tape by James Farber at Power Station, on the same custom tube Ampex 351 tape machine on which we mixed Vintage (at 30 ips on 1/2 inch tape), cut by Bernie Grundman bypassing the mastering board (no EQ), and pressed at Gotta Groove, just like "Vintage". I am very proud of this record and I think the recording came out great. I’m very happy with the test pressings."
The Swiss audio companies Stenheim and darTZeel and the French cartridge manufacturer Ana Mighty Sound helped with sponsorship and when you hear this record you will thank them!
This photos is a "selfie" from the Stenheim Power Station event. That's recording engineer James Farber on the right.
How good is the sound? I don't think you own a record that sounds better than this. You can order the album directly on vinyl or tape at the analog tone factory website And you should.
