Opus 5: Swing on This — exemplary musicianship

The gripping narratives and disciplined warmth of modern jazz quintet Opus 5’s latest release reflect dues paid at the centre of New York jazz. A swath of sideman duties includes the Mingus Big Band — bassist Boris Kozlov has been its MD since 2004 — and their combined leadership dates on the Criss Cross label alone now number 30.

The collective’s fifth album, their first since 2015, fine-tunes the jazz mainstream with a mostly original set that includes subtle hip-hop inflections and Latin jazz alongside a core jazz pulse. The front line of saxophonist Seamus Blake and Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and flugelhorn combine tight phrasing with emotional purpose. And the rhythm section’s springy pulse is cushioned by drummer Donald Edwards’ supple inflections and steady sense of time.

The album is bookended by two covers. “Swing on This”, written for the band by George Fontenette, begins with a front-line fanfare, a glide of walking bass swing and a modal structure to bite into. Theme navigated, trumpeter Sipiagin flows lyrically, Blake delivers muscular, syncopated tenor sax and a tricky interlude arrives on the point of a pin; rhythmically devious David Kikoski piano plays the song out.

The final track, a cover of Bobby Watson’s “In Case You Missed It”, also has a modal root. But here it is introduced by gospel-laced piano, and the brass intertwine to take the track to a high.

The remaining six pieces are original work. The steady piano pulse, seductive bass line and light funky groove of Kikoski’s “Pythagoras” have a hip-hop vibe, a neat contrast to the theme’s jaunty air. Kozlov’s mellow “Moonbay” features seductive brass and Sipiagin’s “Fermata” and “Sight Vision” support the composer’s flugelhorn with Fender Rhodes and upbeat Latin jazz.

“Finger Painted Swing” and “The Great Divide”, composed by Edwards, allude to small-group jazz, swing hard and change tempo without missing a beat. A crisp press roll introduces the first, the second ends with a rumble of drums and the band’s musicianship is exemplary throughout.

★★★★☆

‘Swing on This’ is released by Criss Cross