The multiple-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist Donny McCaslin hit us with Lullaby for the Lost this year, and you will not regret dedicating fifty minutes of your life to it. I say he “hit us” because it is a grandiose and hard-driving jazz fusion listening experience with distorted guitars, ethereal arpeggiating synths, groovy backbeats, and shredding sax solos. Listen to “Solace” and the moments leading to the soaring high D that McCaslin plays about four minutes in. At its most exciting, the album is a well-mixed wall of sound that takes you on a trip. Also contained within are quieter moments of sparse cymbal sounds, reverb-soaked guitar, and slow-moving melodies from the horn of McCaslin.
There is no shortage of styles on the album either. Take, for instance, “Blond Crush,” which sounds like synth-pop post-punk with a noodly tenor sax playing blues and jazz licks overtop; or “Tokyo Game Show” with his compressed drums, perpetually panning synth beeps, and strong bass riff with a tone reminiscent of “Roundabout” by Yes.
Jazz fusion as a term has, perhaps unfortunately, become somewhat synonymous with the sounds of the ’70s and ’80s and often used as a shorthand to describe the stylings of Weather Report or the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Let it be known that this is not that. The spirit may be the same (the willingness to mix jazz conventions with a plethora of tones and genres available at a given time), but forty years onward, this is not your dad’s jazz fusion. Though he will probably enjoy it all the same. Get yourself a decent pair of headphones and put on Lullaby for the Lost as you work your way through this year’s top 100.
