Russell Hall Delights on Emmet Cohen’s “Uptown in Orbit”
Jazz pianist Emmet Cohen has released Uptown in Orbit, marking his second release for Mack Avenue. The album is being hailed as bringing the tradition of jazz to the forefront with a modern twist for the times. That makes sense, as Cohen has been hosting a livestream series called “Live at Emmet’s Place” during the last two years that has the feeling of 1920s rent parties.
The pianist is joined by drummer Kyle Poole and bassist Russell Hall for the entire record, with trumpeter Sean Jones and saxophonist Patrick Bartley joining for select tracks. Hall is completely in step with Cohen in blending styles from the years. On vintage jazz-inspired numbers like “Finger Buster” and “Spillin’ the Tea,” he walks two beats with a slap style while driving upbeat songs like “Mosaic” with his blazing, melodic bass lines.
Hear Hall’s old-school slap style on “Spillin’ The Tea”:
Uptown in Orbit is available now on CD, vinyl and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).
Uptown in Orbit Track List:
- Finger Buster
- Uptown in Orbit
- My Love Will Come Again
- Spillin’ the Tea
- Li’l Darlin’
- The Loneliest
- Uptown in Orbit (Reprise)
- Distant Hallow
- Mosaic
- Venus de Milo
- Braggin’ in Brass
