EVENT HORIZON JAZZ QUARTET, Consternation

While some jazz albums simply seem destined to ease into the room, Consternation kicks open the door, looks around, and immediately starts rearranging the furniture. The second release from Chicago’s Event Horizon Jazz Quartet is a spirited, stylistically adventurous collection of 13 originals by co-leaders Jim Kaczmarek and Scott Mertens, balancing hard-swinging momentum with atmospheric balladry and enough rhythmic detours to keep the listener guessing – and fully on board for the fascinating journey.

Formed around Kaczmarek’s saxophones, Mertens’ piano and keyboards, bassist Donn DeSanto and drummer Rick Vitek, the quartet operates with the looseness of a collective and the precision of musicians who have spent years listening closely to one another. The album moves easily between brisk burners and slower, more spacious pieces, creating a satisfying ebb and flow while revealing just how broad their collective vocabulary has become.

“Spring Was Here” sets the pace with rolling piano, throbbing bass and sharply accented percussion before Kaczmarek’s soulful saxophone takes flight. Mertens follows with a fast-moving piano improvisation, while Vitek punctuates the groove with cymbal flourishes and colorful stick work. The piece feels like an exuberant arrival, gathering momentum until a darker bass passage briefly pulls the energy inward before the quartet surges forward again.

The title track takes a more unsettled path. A bustling drum opening gives way to a brooding saxophone figure, shimmering electric-piano colors and an increasingly forceful groove. Mertens’ vibrant electric-piano fire becomes particularly effective during his extended improvisation, swirling above the rhythm section while Kaczmarek shifts between punchy declarations and darker phrases. The result is both mischievous and tense, reflecting the album’s title without ever becoming ponderous.

That stylistic range is central to the album’s appeal. “Tumbling After” turns a graceful soprano melody into a playful, increasingly animated romp, while “Ballad Di Sienna” slows the pace with smoky tenor, spacious electric piano and a sensual, late-night atmosphere. “Going Home” introduces exotic percussion and a whimsical soprano line, creating one of the collection’s most buoyant performances.

The quartet becomes even more adventurous on “J.C. in the Club,” a Coltrane-inspired piece that blends funky piano, Latin percussion and bold brass colors, with guest trumpeter Victor Garcia adding another burst of energy. “I Have No Idea” swings with a New Orleans second-line feel, while

“Yes” and “Spit It Out” push into fast, muscular territory, giving Kaczmarek and Mertens plenty of room for fiery exchanges.

Just as effectively, “Please” slows everything down into a full-bodied tenor ballad, its long saxophone lines floating over emphatic piano and a restrained rhythm section. “Prattle Away” begins almost tentatively before exploding into a freewheeling sax-and-piano race, culminating in a powerful drum solo. The closing “Fourthwith” brings a touch of ’70s fusion through feisty electric piano and a propulsive midtempo groove.

Throughout Consternation, Event Horizon Jazz Quartet demonstrates that stylistic variety doesn’t require sacrificing identity. The music can be funky, lyrical, cerebral, playful or downright combustible, yet the quartet’s conversational chemistry remains constant. After six years away from the studio, they return not by retracing familiar territory, but by opening the door to considerably more of it.