Zack Lober - So We Could Live
ZenneZ, 2025
Bassist Zack Lober follows up his debut recording No Fill3r (ZenneZ Records, 2023) with So We Could Live. The band is a pianoless quartet featuring saxophonist Jasper Blom and trumpeter Suzan Veneman. Sun-Mi Hong occupies the drum chair. Small chordless jazz ensembles are like Scotch whiskey, an developed taste. While they can sound austere and clinical, they also allow each band member to perform in spacious sonic luxury, which can be as decadent as it is refreshing. For the musician, there is nowhere to hide; mistakes are expected and incorporated into the whole.
The most common format has been the saxophone trio: sax/bass/drums, an arrangement introduced by Sonny Rollins most famously on A Night At The Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1957). There have been many other famous ones, including the trios of Ornette Coleman, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, and J.D. Allen. Lober increased the spice with the addition of trumpet, providing a sharp brass contrast to the standard format.
The album opens with Lober’s “Joe Type Tune,” a tribute to the legendary Joe Henderson trio. It features an infectious descending bassline and a burning solo from Blom. Blom’s “Behind a Myth” is a cryptic, atonal piece inspired by Paul Hindemith. On “The Loose End,” Veneman delivers a thoughtful, unique solo that showcases her fascinating musical logic. Lober’s “Vignette” is a modern, edgy take on Wayne Shorter’s “Etcetera,” and the final track, Blom’s “Feathered Head,” brilliantly references Dave Holland’s Conference of the Birds to create a stunning, free-flying two-horn performance.