CARL CLEMENTS AND THE REAL JAZZ TRIO, Retrospective

When Carl Clements isn’t teaching saxophone and improvisation at Amherst College, the multi-talented artist is traveling the world – U.S. Europe, Asia, Middle East, South and Southeast Asia – soaking up global cultures and sharing his gifts on tenor and soprano sax and exotic flutes, including the bansuri, an ancient side-blown bamboo flute originating from the Indian subcontinent, with roots tracing back over 2,000 years to Indian and Nepali folk tradition.

This exotic wind instrument is emphatically featured on two tracks with different rhythmic energies (“Almodovar,” “Processional”) that form the intense, emotional centerpiece and creative apex of Retrospective, a dynamics-filled collection spotlighting Clements’ longtime collaborations with the Real Jazz Trio, an all-star European based unit comprised of pianist Jean-Yves Jung, bassist Johannes Schaedlich and drummer Jens Biehl.

Elsewhere, the wondrously eclectic set rolls along like an hour-long journey through numerous jazz traditions, from the high octane tenor-driven Joe Henderson tribute “One For Joe” and lyrical, mid-tempo contrapuntal straight eighths piece “Mobius” through three key  soprano pieces showcasing the wide ranging emotions that horn is capable of – the moody, elegant romantic waltz “Remnants,” the booming, improvisation filled funk jam which fully embodies its title “A Change of Rhythm” (Jung’s ear popping piano solo is jazz derring do at its finest!) and the free-flowing 5/4 coolness of the title track.

Considering its earlier impact, and Clements’ love for world music, it makes perfect thematic sense to wrap everything in a mystical, soaring bansuri bow on the plucky, seductive closer “Kadam.”