Diane Roblin & Life Force – Breath of Fresh Air

Toronto pianist Diane Roblin leads a solid sextet featuring Kevin Turcotte on trumpet (occasionally flugelhorn), John Johnson on soprano and alto, Jeff LaRochelle on tenor and bass clarinet, the legendary George Koller on double and electric bass, and Tim Shia on drums. 

The six tracks on Breath of Fresh Air are soaked in good-natured jazz, elegantly cut and solidly structured on the rhythm side, with a rock tendency, or at least rock inspiration. That said, it’s still rather slow in terms of speed, like a strolling ballad. It’s in the heaviness of the beat that the rock comes through. On the other hand, the muscular structure is underpinned by fairly sophisticated melodic and harmonic overtones, making this programme both accessible and nourishing for demanding music lovers. 

Good jazz, that gives as much as it asks.