Chris Mondak - Glass Spheres
Chris Mondak leads a jazz ensemble as an upright bassist. The position within the quintet he helms leads to spirited interplay on Glass Spheres, the Venezuela-born, Tennessee-residing Mondak's second long-player. Never ostentatious, even on his rare solos, Mondak nevertheless propels the saxophonist, guitarist, pianist and drummer sharing the studio with him to tuneful, impassioned animation throughout seven selections.
Spheres’ septet of tracks encompasses (and commences with) straight ahead classicist bop, but the group broaches funk-imbued soul jazz and miasmic free jazz and wraps up in a second-line workout with a dash of rockabilly that it’s easy to imagine soundtracking a New Orleans parade and/or funeral. Mondak’s flex at encompassing such a stylistic gamut his second time out bodes well for his future development.
