Jack DeJohnette/Ravi Coltrane/Matthew Garrison: In Movement
You go into it knowing the connections: Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, 50, and bassist Matthew Garrison, 46, are the sons, respectively, of John Coltrane and Jimmy Garrison, who played the same instruments as their offspring in one of jazz’s most game-changing quartets. Drummer Jack DeJohnette, who is now73 and played a handful of times with John Coltrane, introduced the two sons and encouraged them to create together. In Movement is the first time the trio has recorded, and it both embraces the musicians’ shared legacy and takes pains to transcend it. They honor the past immediately, opening with a doleful, exploratory take on the elder Coltrane’s “Alabama.” It doesn’t so much meander as it unfolds at a measured pace, establishing the rapport among the three players. If the trio is nominally led by DeJohnette—and his seniority should grant him that—then the drummer earns his status on tracks like the funky but minimal “Serpentine Fire” and, especially, “Rashied,” a nod to the late Rashied Ali, the senior Coltrane’s drummer of choice toward the end of his life. One other cover must be acknowledged though: Miles Davis’ “Blue in Green” features DeJohnette (who played with Miles) on piano, no drums in sight; enchanting and pristine, it suggests other directions this trio might choose to take should they meet again.