Veteran jazz trumpeter Jeff Lofton demonstrates his versatility and range at every breath. “You Blues You Lose” looks back to Kind of Blue-era Miles Davis, while “NOLA Beat” employs a funky N’awlins groove. Even when the punches aren’t telegraphed, the program shifts plenty of gears. The Austinite’s cover of “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” offers frisky hard bop in contrast to “Rose,” highlighted by sublime piano from Dr. James Polk, which settles into easy swing, cocktail in hand and fingers ready to snap. The album also touches on Latin and soul jazz. Occasionally the cornucopia feels forced; two versions of Eugene McDaniels’ social protest anthem “Compared to What,” one sung by Carolyn Wonderland and the other by late guitarist Larry Coryell’s blues-singing son Murali, are probably two too many. Yet Lofton’s pure tone and stylistic ease keep Jericho from sounding like a highlight reel.

***

This article appears in November 29 • 2019.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.