Loren Stillman - Winter Fruits (2009)

Sometimes, an artist's description of his/her work can leave listeners scratching their heads and saying, "Hmmm, that isn't what I heard at all." But in the case of Winter Fruits, Loren Stillman's description of the material rings quite true. The alto saxophonist has been quoted as saying that he called this 2008 recording Winter Fruits because even though the post-bop compositions (most of them by Stillman himself) evoke thoughts of a cold, dark winter, they also suggest that spring is just around the corner -- and sure enough, Winter Fruits does sound like a snowy winter that is mindful of spring. Stillman (who forms a quartet with guitarist Nate Radley, organist Gary Versace, and drummer Ted Poor) often expresses melancholy thoughts on this 51-minute CD; there is no shortage of melancholia on "Man of Mystery," "Like a Magic Kiss," and other contemplative Stillman originals. And yet, Winter Fruits isn't one of those albums that is totally pessimistic and depressing from start to finish -- not by a longshot. Winter Fruits also has its share of hopefulness; in other words, Stillman sounds confident that the rejuvenation of spring is in the not-so-distant future; Winter Fruits' overall mood is that of late February/early March rather than mid-December (when spring seems a long way off). Of course, all those change-of-seasons analogies might not mean much if one is a lifelong resident of, say, Málaga, Spain and has never seen a snowplow. But even in the sunniest parts of Andalusia, one can still relate to feeling melancholy but being hopeful or confident that things are going to get better sooner rather than later -- and that is the essence of Winter Fruits, which is a thoughtful and nicely executed post-bop outing from Stillman and his colleagues.