Americana: Musings on Jazz and Blues

Since 2008, with a few breaks, tenor saxophonist JD Allen has been leading a trio with bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston. His voice on the horn is heavy but meditative, with echoes of John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and even David S. Ware. August’s thick, booming sound and Royston’s sharp, cracking snare and loose but aggro rhythmic drive are a perfect foundation for the leader’s technically adept but always grounded explorations. Allen can make the horn do anything he wants, but like a samurai, he contains himself, practicing a disciplined efficiency that manifests in bluesy, melodic hooks and precise, logical solos. On this 2016 album, they dug deeper into the blues than ever before, creating a kind of mournful back-country sound that seems to echo out of history, and haunts the listener like a half-remembered song long after the music ends.