He plays plenty on No One’s Sleeping, putting a deep, warm tone in the service of the melody of the soul nugget “I’ve Got To Use My Imagination,” and he spars briefly with guitarist Kevin Barry before getting to the heart of an instrumental version of Al Green’s “I’m Glad You’re Mine.” His variation on “Nessun dorma,” which he first heard Aretha Franklin perform, is the centerpiece; it’s followed by the up-tempo R&B chestnut “Use Me” and then “Pocket Change.” The latter is the first of his own compositions that he’s recorded, and it fits comfortably with the rest of the set’s soulful vibe.
“I’ve been very lucky in my career, and there are some very basic rules that have always served me well. Talk to people and try to connect with them not because of what they can do for you but in a genuine way. Just be honest and fair. And don’t be afraid to move on. I’ve been in situations where I’ve moved on from a band and it wasn’t in my best interest financially, but it closed one door so another could open. As I said, there’s a lot of luck involved, and living this way helps prepare you to receive it when it comes.”
Like a 1950s session for Blue Note, Ahlstrand’s The Sunday Hang was recorded in one day, live in Brookline’s Rear Window Studios. Six of its eight tunes are Ahlstrand originals, and like a good old-school bandleader he gives plenty of solos to pianist Ryan Claunch and bassist Jesse Williams, and drummer Dave Mattacks gets opportunities for dramatic percussive punctuation. The Dorsey Brothers break-up ballad “The Night We Called It a Day” is a beautiful highlight, with Ahlstrand’s tone and slow, breathy blowing striking the perfect “blue” notes — even cracking a bit with the emotional tenor of the tune.
The band celebrated the disc’s release with a night at the Lizard Lounge that found them slipping gracefully back in time to the glory days of jazz. At times Mattacks — a brilliant player with a long pop-music history that includes folk-rock legends Fairport Convention and sessions and tours with Paul McCartney, Elton John, Jethro Tull, and Jimmy Page — proved a bit heavy-handed for the material, especially in his cymbal work. But like the rest of the group, he seemed to relish exploring Ahlstrand’s blithe melodic themes.
Lovers of classic jazz and fans of Ahlstrand’s work with blues and R&B ensembles can get an earful at www.paulahlstrand.com, where there are also dates for his gigs as a sideman and leader, and a link to purchase The Sunday Hang.
On the Web
Deric Dyer: http://www.dericdyer.com/
Paul Ahlstrand: http://www.paulahlstrand.com/
