Blues Twilight Review

The Run-Off Groove

The album cover is simple: an illustration of Richard Boulger playing the trumpet as his melodies become a part of the air, creating smoke within the city's skyscrapers, eyes shut and totally into what he's playing, all in shades of blue. It's simple, low key even, but after playing "The Eternal One", the song which opens Boulger's Blues Twilight (b-1 music), you may find yourself with your eyes closed and coming up with incredible visions for his music.

One of his biggest influences on the trumpet is jazz legend Freddie Hubbard, and on the cover he says that he is very happy and honored to be a witness to a great trumpet player, and while that might seem like one buddy trying to help another, there's truth in being a witness to something great. Boulger's playing goes back to when jazz felt revolutionary, when players were going to war not with each other, but for the sake of keeping jazz music alive, that late 60's Blue Note vibe, or the kind of excitement Cannonball Adderley was presenting on his early 70's Capitol sides, but on the sax. What I hear is a musician who is easily one of the best trumpet players around, where you feel each emotion he plays and you want to go with him for the duration, especially in tracks like "For Souls Past", "Miss Sarah", and "Perceptions". This isn't smooth jazz, thank you, but rather someone who loves what he plays, the music he plays, and being able to do that with an incredible set of musicians, for this album they include Victor Jones (drums), Dennis Irwin (bass), David Schnitter (tenor and soprano saxes), Anthony Wonsey (piano), Kris Jensen (tenor sax, flute), and John Hicks (piano). There's a togetherness with these songs and how they are played, and how they relate to each other, how it all vibes the right way with Boulger edging each of them on and in turn they help him to get to where he need to be with each song. What also makes this album work extremely well is the engineering from John Roper, and by Boulger producing the sessions he was able to accurately put together the kind of music he hears and wants to display for everyone else to listen to. Much credit goes to Roper for his sharp ear and knowing how to place everything in the studio to create the kind of recording that should be submitted for a Grammy nomination next year, it is that good.

Mr. Hubbard calls Mr. Boulger's album "truly inspirational", and Boulger learned from the best. He takes on the lessons and craft that Hubbard taught him, and with the confidence in his playing, moves forward without waiting for a signal to go. Boulger has been on his way, keep an ear out for this guy or you'll miss great jazz for this generation.