Noble is a double bass player based in New Orleans. Noble’s musical influences have been acknowledged from the outset, serving as a source from which the musician, supported by Autumn Dominguez on alto sax, Seth Collins on piano and Tanner Guss on drums (with two appearances by guitarist Mike Clement), has freed himself from this stylistic gravity to explore a little more of his own personal expression. So, yes, Bill Evans, Charlie Haden and Kenny Garrett are perceptible. But it’s clear that Noble is evoking these giants here and there through subtle nods more than exact mimicking (which is a good thing). Alice’s Point Of View, for example, is inspired by one of Noble’s neighbours, apparently gifted with optimism, but at the same time serves as a reference to Sammy Fain’s Alice in Wonderland, which was one of Bill Evans’ favourite pieces. Using a modern tonal language that is fairly classic post bop jazz, but above all bright and positive, Noble strings together lovely episodes that are by turns introspective and exuberant. He gives plenty of space to his partners, who contribute beautifully to the creation of engaging atmospheres while expressing stimulating and balanced discursive passages.
