Canadian trumpeter and bandleader Joe Sullivan's third album for six-piece ensemble was released in 2010 by the Effendi record label. The title track "Voices" and "Veux, Veux Pas" (Want, Not Want) contain good examples of Sullivan's thoughtful trumpeting, which embodies the sort of cool, controlled sensibilities one might associate with
Kenny Dorham, Richard Williams, or
Johnny Coles. "The Mighty Missinaibi" honors a vast river in northern Ontario that ultimately empties into James Bay, which is really the lower portion of Hudson Bay. Sullivan's vivid evocation of one of North America's longest unimpeded wilderness waterways is greatly enhanced by the presence of baritone saxophonist
Jean Fréchette. The other reed player in this Montreal-based unit is
André Leroux, who handles both tenor and soprano saxophones. Both front liners have served in Sullivan's well-known and regionally respected big band, as have pianist
André White, bassist Alec Walkington, and drummer
Dave Laing. This recording is sure to please as welcome proof that finely crafted, straight-ahead modern jazz is alive and well in the northern latitudes of the Western Hemisphere. ~ arwulf arwulf