Jacám Manricks Samadhi

Jacám Manricks
 Samadhi
 Manricks Music Records
 
Jacám Manricks was born in 1976 in Brisbane, Australia, the child of two classical musicians in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra—and the grandson of a celebrated Portuguese jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, and a Sri Lankan concert pianist. He received a degree in music performance (classical and jazz saxophone) from the Queensland Conservatorium. In 2001 he moved to New York and continued a performing career as well as further education. He relocated to Sacramento, California, in 2014, teaching and performing in a super sax style combo as well as his own big band. He also built a home studio where the present album was recorded and mixed.

"Samadhi," the title of Manricks' new album, is a Sanskrit term that refers to a state of heightened, holistic focus that allows for communion with the divine. Manricks uses that title in the sense of "Getting to that state of intense concentration where everything else disappears around you, and only the music exists." Manricks plays Manricks plays alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones. He also plays and clarinet and bass clarinet, flute and alto flute, and MIDI strings (for which he wrote the orchestrations). This release showcases not only his improvisatory abilities but his compositions. He authored all eight selections, although one is a collaboration with pianist Joe Gilman. The other members of the quartet are bassist Matt Penman and drummer Clarence Penn.
 
 The compositions and the musicians make for marvelous listening . Manricks has written  memorable musical themes with shifting tempos and colors. It starts with the opening, dramatic "Formula One" and the playful "Common Tone" with an insistent groove that Penn drives along as well as provides counter-rhythms. Pianist Gilman shines on this selection, whether his mesmerizing riff or solo, while Manricks shows here, and throughout, complete technical command and authority in his improvisations. Manricks can play with utter abandon or with contemplative restraint as he displays with his soprano sax on "New Years Day." This selection also has a terrific bass solo by Penman. The title track is a striking composition and an outstanding performance with a spiritual mood with his sax soaring over the rhythm section.
 
Other performances are equally fascinating such as Manricks' use of a bass clarinet to double up the bass line on "Schmaltz" in addition to his robust tenor sax. "Samadhi" closes with "Ethereal," a spellbinding, free-flowing collaboration by Manricks on soprano sax and Gilman. It caps this consistently outstanding recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2021 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 394). I have made a couple minor edits and corrections. Here is the title track.