Reviews > CDs

Natalie Cressman and Secret Garden: Unfolding

Self-released

For someone so young, and who is playing an instrument as uncommon as the trombone, Natalie Cressman is already making a big splash on the music scene. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be a member of the Trey Anastasio Band. But on her debut full-length as a bandleader, the young jazz musician sets out to stake her position in the industry based on her abilities as a composer and vocalist, in addition to her trombone prowess. The compositions are the elements that shine in this effort. Her arrangements demonstrate a depth and patience that belie her years, and place her in the company of today’s modern jazz elite. Opener “Flip” and the odd-metered “Echo,” in particular, are on par with recent award-winning efforts by the likes of Vijay Iyer or Esperanza Spalding. The strength of Cressman’s writing also serves to somewhat diminish other aspects of her abilities as a musician. The complexity of her harmonic concepts demand a larger ensemble—in this case, a sextet featuring two additional horns. In effect, this relegates Cressman’s trombone playing to, at most, a co-lead position, with only “Skylight,” co-written with Adam Nash, and allows her a real opportunity to stretch out on the ‘bone.