New Dreams, Old Stories by Way North
New Dreams, Old Stories by Way North
Jazz has long been an avenue to reinterpret and recontextualize pop songs and tunes from other genres. Way North go one better that that premise by reinterpreting entire genres within their improv-based sound. That’s why their calling their sound folk-jazz makes eminent sense.
The way in which the Brooklyn/Toronto/Ottawa quartet navigate through their stylistic crosscurrents also makes their third album, New Dreams, Old Stories, fun listening from a scene often known for its players’ rigor. Were it possible for trumpeter Rebecca Hennessy and saxophonist/clarinetist Peter Cancura to smile while playing many of the often cheerful, sometimes wistful material—especially their instrumental response to Charlie Haden’s oft-recorded paean for world peace—they doubtless would sport wide grins.
And whereas prior Way North albums reflected the group’s catholicity of folksy interests strictly instrumentally, here they offer snippets of vocalizing. Their warm-hearted earnestness gives the vibe of a less hipster-oriented—and, sure, folkier—Flat Five. The easy assurance of Way North’s interaction and consistent tunefulness, along with their delightfully unorthodox use of singing, make the band an apt entryway to jazz for novices and New Dreams a cheerful celebration for more seasoned jazz hounds.
