Ralph Alessi - For A Sun That Never Sets

For A Sun That Never Sets, Ralph Alessi expands the quartet configuration with a fifth player for a set of eleven new compositions that elaborate on Alessi’s intricate writing with deep thought and a fresh sense of adventure. The last time Alessi operated with a quintet was with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane in his This Against That ensemble, captured on 2019’s acclaimed Imaginary Friends. Instead of a saxophonist, this time the trumpeter’s brother Joseph Alessi comes into the fold and fortifies an already state-of-the-art group with inspired trombone lines in frequently wild interplay with the trumpet.  

Pianist Matt Mitchell, John Hébert on double bass and Ches Smith on drums and vibraphone round out a band that navigates Alessi’s syncopated themes like a playground, finding new modes of expression for every turn. Patiently moving, contemplative material and angular structures with heavy blowing coexist in a varied programme that gives every facet of Ralph Alessi’s idiosyncratic playing the space to shine. Online magazine Making A Scene has noted how “Alessi’s trumpet tone is pure and stunning both in terms of range and moods conveyed” – a fact in evidence throughout this album. Mitchell on piano traces the themes while also playing “outside” the harmonies, dancing around the horns as Ches Smith and Hébert keep pulses fluid on high alert.