One minute we’re hearing the funkiest grooves (Jeremy Pelt’s voodoo trumpet) on “427 Mass Ave”, a few tracks later it’s the most gently elegant showcase for marimba on “How I Feel at This Given Moment.” Judging from his eponymous recording debut as leader, mallet master/composer Warren Wolf is perpetually able to capture his feelings in music at any given moment. I’ve heard Wolf in several contexts over the past few years, at the Detroit Jazz Festival and with the Christian McBride band Inside Straight at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis. Each time, the now 31-year-old has demonstrated why many critics and fellow musicians consider him to be the heir apparent to Stefon Harris. 

Bassist and employer (and here, co-producer) McBride plays sideman, along with pianist Peter Martin, drummer Greg Hutchinson, and saxophonist Tim Green, with trumpeter Pelt on two compelling tracks. The set showcases Wolf the composer as well as vibes man, with six original compositions;  Green and Martin each contribute a tune; jazz standards “Emily” (an exquisite vibes rendering of Mercer and Mandel’s classic) and a magical marimba/vibes overdubbed arrangement of “Señor Mouse” (Chick Corea) fill out the recording.  

Of the originals, Wolf’s “Sweet Bread” for the full sextet shows off the composer’s sophistication in developing lines for horns that blend energetically with his vibes. This one swings from the git-go, sax and trumpet twist and turn delightfully; McBride ensures a constant groove; Martin somersaults gracefully yet aggressively across the sonic turf. Green’s “Eva” bounces along like an updated Modern Jazz Quartet signature, a playground swingset for Wolf that highlights his speed and agility with the mallets, while Green himself mirrors the leader’s sinewy phrases. Martin’s closing “Intimate Dance” is aptly titled, a deliberate, wistful journey without horns, with Wolf’s stunning balladry floating above the subdued foundation laid by Martin and McBride. Although Wolf says “I like to play really hard, fast and kind of flashy,” he clearly also likes to play with considerable nuance and melodic tenderness. 

Wolf has a busy schedule ahead this fall following the August release, including stints with Inside Straight and the Aaron Diehl Group as well as with his touring quartet. If he comes to a venue near you, don’t miss the opportunity to hear a young master as he begins his ascent. 

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