Blues Twilight Review

Eric Snider

There's a legion of dedicated jazz musicians out there, blowing under the radar, making formidable music that, unfortunately, very few people ever hear. Add to their number Richard Boulger, a New York-based trumpeter/composer who's a new, and welcome, name to me. Blues Twilight is an artfully executed set of original tunes that calls to mind a lot of the usual touchstones -- '60s Miles, Art Blakey's Messengers, a dollop of Coltrane. What the music lacks in originality it makes up for in the telepathic interaction of the players and Boulger's brassy, forceful solos. His tunes find an engaging balance between sophistication and accessibility. This guy deserves an ear. Jazz aficionados should lend him one. Or two.