{"id":6259,"date":"2023-07-19T13:25:59","date_gmt":"2023-07-19T18:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=6259"},"modified":"2023-07-19T13:26:02","modified_gmt":"2023-07-19T18:26:02","slug":"green-thumb-ake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/green-thumb-ake\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: David Ake&#8217;s &#8216;Green Thumb&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It takes daring for a producer to lead off a recording with a ballad. When that producer is Marc Free of Posi-Tone Records, a label known for scorching hard bop, the album particularly demands attention. With&nbsp;<em>Green Thumb&nbsp;<\/em>(Posi-Tone Records, 2023), pianist David Ake generously provides a varied program of surprising, even eccentric, choices that resolve with the satisfying inevitability of a fable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagination is Ake\u2019s motivating principle here. He follows the opening ballad &#8211; the languid Wayne Shorter-influenced \u201cGood Afternoon\u201d &#8211; with the title cut, a \u201cBlue Monk-\u201cish blues that seems to barely unfold from a dimension where time is suspended. Then it\u2019s on to \u201cJohn Prine,\u201d a loping cowboy bolero \u00e1 la \u201cBlue Bayou,\u201d and \u201cStu\u2019s News,\u201d a bouncing line that evokes Ornette Coleman at his most playful. Add \u201cSlingshot,\u201d a fleet but light-footed swinger reminiscent of Keith Jarrett\u2019s American Quartet. And the crashing arena rock of \u201cStreet Food.\u201d Throughout, Ake gives the picture of a musician of restless curiosity and unbounded interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"120\" style=\"position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/v=2\/track=536262814\/album=3430563830\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet,&nbsp;<em>Green Thumb<\/em>&nbsp;hangs together with the adhesive commitment of the band to Ake\u2019s singular vision. Rudy Royston is a drummer whose musical curiosity rivals Ake\u2019s.. With bassist Boris Kozlov, Royston forms a Posi-Tone house rhythm section that responds to every situation with confidence and originality. At the piano, the leader is measured and self-contained, never didactic or lunging for cheap effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Music this eclectic calls for a horn player with resourcefulness and eloquence, and here Tony Malaby and his astonishing range almost steals the show. He roars like an R&amp;B bar walker on \u201cStreet Food\u201d and sings the soft, sad melody of \u201cWalker Evans\u201d with affecting dignity. Malaby is not a player one associates with songbook repertoire, but the recording\u2019s two covers are standouts. \u201cAll The Things You Are\u201d plays hide-the-melody reminiscent of Lee Konitz, while \u201cBut Beautiful\u201d closes the album with the aching, teardrop lyricism of a Ben Webster ballad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"120\" style=\"position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/v=2\/track=2918141888\/album=3430563830\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This stimulating and thought-provoking quartet makes music with understated audacity and supreme confidence. Yet the responsibilities of Ake\u2019s academic career at the University of Miami may keep him from the wider recognition he deserves. That\u2019s a shame, but the rich banquet of rewarding music on&nbsp;<em>Green Thumb<\/em>&nbsp;should give listeners a lot to enjoy in the interim.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Green Thumb i<\/em>s now available on Posi-Tone Records.<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/davidake.bandcamp.com\/album\/green-thumb\"><strong>&nbsp;It can be purchased on Bandcamp.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tracklist: 1. Good Afternoon; 2. Green Thumb; 3. John Prine; 4. Stu\u2019s News; 5. Walker Evans; 6. Slingshot; 7. Kendee; 8. All The Things You Are; 9. Street Food;10. But Beautiful.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Personnel: David Ake (piano), Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone), Boris Kozlov (bass), Rudy Royston (drums).&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It takes daring for a producer to lead off a recording with a ballad. When that producer is Marc Free of Posi-Tone Records, a label known for scorching hard bop, the album particularly demands attention. With&nbsp;Green Thumb&nbsp;(Posi-Tone Records, 2023), pianist David Ake generously provides a varied program of surprising, even eccentric, choices that resolve with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":49,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/David-Ake-Green-Thumb-cover1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peRkRR-1CX","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11142,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-josh-lawrence-still-we-dream\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":0},"title":"Review: Josh Lawrence\u2019s \u2018Still We Dream\u2019","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"August 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Still We Dream (Posi-Tone, 2025) is trumpeter and composer Josh Lawrence\u2019s seventh release for the label that prides itself on revealing the \u201cNew Frontier of Jazz.\u201d With it, the four-time Grammy nominee and regular member of Orrin Evans\u2019 Captain Black Big Band delivers a rather unusual album for a trumpeter.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0891.jpg?fit=750%2C499&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0891.jpg?fit=750%2C499&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0891.jpg?fit=750%2C499&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0891.jpg?fit=750%2C499&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11670,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-stand-up-jerome-sabbagh\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":1},"title":"Review: Jerome Sabbagh\u2019s \u2018Stand Up!\u2019","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"December 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the last few years, tenor saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh has released recordings thst featured his dulcet tones with several jazz\u00a0elders - Kenny Barron\u00a0(Vintage (Sunnyside, 2023)) and the late drummer Al Foster\u00a0(Heart (Analog Tone Factory, 2024)). With Stand Up! (Analog Tone Factory, 2025), Sabbagh returns with\u00a0this twenty-year running quartet with guitarist\u00a0Ben\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_2807.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_2807.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_2807.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_2807.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11104,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/scratch-band-ron-blake\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":2},"title":"Review: Ron Blake\u2019s \u2018SCRATCH Band\u2019","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"August 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"For a musician who excels in both big bands and combo settings, large and small, sometimes it\u2019s refreshing to take a \u2018less is more' approach. Such is the case with Ron Blake. With SCRATCH Band (7t\u0113n33, 2025), the veteran saxophonist, composer, and educator forms a trio with fellow Virgin Island\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0569.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0569.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0569.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0569.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8598,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/molly-miller-ballad-of-hotspur\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":3},"title":"Bringing the Instrumental Back: A Conversation with Molly Miller on &#8216;The Ballad of Hotspur&#8217;","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"June 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"From the 1940s through the 1960s, even into part of the 1970s, instrumental music reigned supreme in the popular consciousness. The swing era brought the music of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller to large audiences. Even as the end of World War II brought about rock and roll,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/MOLLYMILLER_Rosenstein1525Rosenstein.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/MOLLYMILLER_Rosenstein1525Rosenstein.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/MOLLYMILLER_Rosenstein1525Rosenstein.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/MOLLYMILLER_Rosenstein1525Rosenstein.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11351,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-trio-of-bloom\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":4},"title":"Review: \u2018Trio of Bloom\u2019 with Nels Cline, Craig Taborn, and Marcus Gilmore","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"September 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Trio of Bloom (Pyroclastic, 2025) is the first meeting of three titans of creative music, artists to whom genres and boundaries hold little meaning. You can regularly find each of them in conventional or edgy sessions, or within the turf that lies between. 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