Figarova’s writing is Ellingtonian in the way the horns blend in tight harmonies. Simultaneously orchestral and intimate, you sense each part was written with the specific musician in mind. Those musicians include long-time collaborators Platteau (flutes and ocarina), Ernie Hammes (trumpet and flugelhorn), March Mommaas (tenor and soprano sax), Jereon Vierdag (bass) and Chris “Buckshot” Strik (drums).

 

The 12 tracks cover the world of the Big Apple.  The opening “NYCST” is a late night subway ride with a mildly Latin feel as Platteau’s flute soars above the jagged pulse set by Strik and Vierdag, while Amina’s piano traces the locomotion of the night train. “Another Side of the Ocean” provides a lush, birds-eye view of Earth from above, as if floating through space, Hammes delivering particularly beautiful lines and (appropriately) quoting “My Favorite Things.” On the fast-paced “Sneaky Seagulls,” Platteau and Mommas (soprano) recall the squawking birds that suddenly swoop down onto the beach, while the gentle “Shut Eyes, Sea Waves” suggests Eastern scales and harmonies. Hammes is particularly effective on flugelhorn, while Figarova’s intricate, delicate piano solo is set off by elegant backgrounds from the horns and just enough percussion to move the waves forward.

 

The controlled chaos of “On the Go” features Hammes’s frenetic solo and urgent fluttering from Platteau, while “Isabelle” (named for Vierdag’s girl friend) finds Hammes slowing it down with his exquisite flugelhorn, supported by Amina’s lyrical lines that finally become her own solo journey. “Make it Happen” features one thrusting solo after another from tenor sax, trumpet, and piano, with Vierdag and Strik a steady drive train. The title track intro lands somewhere between Bach, Chopin and Monk; the almost harp-like piano lines evolve into an ensemble anthem buoyed by Strik and Vierdag. There’s a beautiful showcase segment for Platteau, while Amina forms a majestic trio with bass and drums.

 

“New Birth” has a full-throttle swing with Figarova leading the charge; “Morning Place” starts with a zen-like motif on piano, while Vierdag delivers his most stunning contribution here--melodic, insistent, seamlessly folding into supportive lines for Hammes’s flugelhorn. “Leila” offers strong statements from Platteau and particularly Strik, who finds a balance between quiet energy and freewheeling exuberance. The set closes with the sweet “Maria’s Request,” friend’s request for a composition of just piano and flute, here a song for piano trio with  bass flute and the additional bass heartbeat from Vierdag.

 

This is a band that built its reputation playing original repertoire, each musician a powerful soloist in his or her own right; yet it is their signature interplay that moves the Amina Figarova Sextet above and beyond the vast majority of large chamber ensembles in modern jazz and places the pianist among the top echelon of composer/bandleaders. Hopefully we will not have to wait long for “Thirteen.”