The Flame Beneath the Silence by Dave Adewumi

Review: Dave Adewumi - The Flame Beneath the Silence

An artist's debut as a leader is typically a studio recording, but trumpeter Dave Adewumi's first album, The Flame Beneath the Silence, was captured live at the NYC jazz club Ornithology. The group's instrumental lineup is somewhat unusual: Adewumi—who has worked with Jason Moran, Mary Halvorson, and others—is joined by vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Marcus Gilmore. There's a sense of openness and flexibility as the quartet explores a set of Adewumi originals. 

Adewumi's high level of artistry is apparent on the title track, where his extended solo keeps pushing and pushing. Utilizing a variety of timbres and techniques, he moves from lyrical restraint to more forceful playing. Oh's hypnotic bass and Gilmore's brush work provide an enveloping groove.

To start off the following piece, "Is," Ross plays a single-pitch, six-note rhythm on vibraphone around which Oh's bass dances.  Gilmore's deft drumming weaves an additional rhythmic layer.  Adewumi lays out the theme before taking off on another improvisatory flight with Ross joining in and later adding a simple riff that brings a subtle tension to the music's flow. 

"Out Cry," a duet for Adewumi and Ross, is a minute-long burst of atonal energy. From there, Flame moves on to its two longest cuts. The atmospheric opening of "If I Need To Do This Again I'm Going To Throw a Fit"—rumbling toms, probing bass, mysterioso vibes, and moody trumpet—gradually turns energetic. As the ten-minute piece unfolds, it continually entrances.

The following, and final, track, "The Light You Left Behind," has a gospel-tinged pop quality. Backed by quiet vibraphone and drums, Oh takes a strikingly melodic solo. After Adewumi gives voice to the melody, Ross turns in a well-contoured statement that comes to an uplifting ending. Adewumi returns to lay out a stream of bluesy and, at times, fiery notes before transitioning to a calm resolution. © Fred Cisterna/Qobuz