– GUERRILLA WARFARE –

Marvel can say what they want but the best superhero collective of all time is definitely Captain Planet’s Planeteers. In the Gospel according to Hanna-Barbera, characters Kwame, Wheeler, Linka, Gi and Ma-Ti were able to harness the elements to advance the cause of good and demolish evil.

And, now that we’re all on board with that, I’m going to put forward the case that the collective of saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Brad Mehldau, drummer Brian Blade and double-bass player Christian McBride are the natural heirs to the Planeteers’ throne.

On Right Back Around Again McBride is the owner of the Earth ring, being the solid base around which the other three pivot. Redman – inevitably – controls the wind, while Mehldau’s fluid piano lines mark him as water. And finally, Blade rubs his two sticks together so fast that he can’t help but bring the fire. None of them is the little lad who has the Heart ring cos, let’s face it, that was always the wankiest power anyway.

As a portent of what is to come (and what’s to come is the first new music from the band since 1994!) it’s a very, very good one indeed.

That album, entitled RoundAgain, will be released on July 10 through Nonesuch.

If you like this try my review of Christian McBride’s Overture / The Movement Revisited and review of Brad Mehldau’s The Garden.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

ZARA MCFARLANE: FUTURE ECHOES
ARMAND HAMMER: CHARMS
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE: HOODED PROCESSION
MODERN NATURE: FLOURISH

Remember, you can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the Future Jazz Playlist on Spotify itself.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

Until next time, love and noise.

– SV –