Peter Lin New Age Old Ways

Peter Lin
New Age Old Ways
Lintet LLC

I was impressed with Peter Lin's previous album "With Respect," and his new album is is another recording that left a strong impression on me. This is with what he calls his TNT Quartet, TNT referring to 'Trombone N' Tenor." Lin, who has studied with Slide Hampton, Curtis Fuller, Conrad Herwig, and Steve Turre, is joined by a band of which tenor saxophonist JD Allen, one of the most prominent new tenor sax voices, is the most familiar. New Jersey natives bassist Ian Kenselaar and drummer Nic Cacioppo are new to me. The piano-less quartet format as well as the album title (suggestive of Old and New Dreams, the Ornette Coleman alumni band), suggests that his band is heavily influenced by Coleman. Lin states this and also notes the influence of a mid-range timbre of a trombone and tenor frontline (such as Al Grey and Jimmy Forrest). I also note a definite influence of the blues as an anchor to much of this

The performances certainly have the feel of the Atlantic era Ornette Coleman with the bluesy, swing opening with "A Path To Understanding," with Cacioppo especially impressive in supporting the leaders. Lin has a strong expressive range with his steel wool tone while Allen is robust and turbulent. "Celestial Being" in inspired by Lin's love of manga and anime and after the two horns state the theme, Kenselaar takes a swirling solo over which Lin enters in a rambunctious fashion. The track, "New Age, Old Ways," Lin states refers to the musician’s struggle to play an older style of music in a relevant way. It is marvelous to see how they develop this performance over a bluesy motif. The title "Red Label" was inspired by Lin drinking some Johnny Walker at a wedding gig that allowed him to relax. It is an excellent blues, with Kenselaar's opening slow drag bass leading to Lins' rumbling tailgate blues solo and Allen's gutbucket tenor. Lin calls "TNT Theme" an "effort to recreate the excitement of the ‘two tenor blowing sessions’ similar to Sonny Stitt & Gene Ammons." It is a heated blues with an intriguing rhythmic flavor and some inspired fervent playing from Lin and Allen over the percolating groove.

The remainder of this recording is of similar high quality. Peter Lin and his TNT Quartet impresses with the absorbing music on a fabulous recording. Incidentally, there is apparently a manga by Lin available online.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the May-June 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 384) although there may some minor changes from the review that appeared there. Here is a video of Peter Lin and the TNT Quartet playing "Celestial Being."