Patrick Cornelius - Infinite Blue (2013)

Infinite Blue is the second album for Whirlwind by New York-based saxophonist and composer Patrick Cornelius, and represents the refinement of melodic concepts that he has been exploring for years (and over the course of three previous solo albums). The idea of telling a story through the contour of melody and the color of orchestration continues to fascinate the young bandleader. Every song written for this new release tells a discrete story, either from the composer’s personal experience or some corner of his imagination. To bring such specifically programmatic music to life, he enlisted an A-List of musicians with a keen ability to accompany and improvise with an ear towards musical narrative.

Pianist Frank Kimbrough is best known for the bespoke beauty that he creates within every single one of Maria Schneider’s gorgeous masterpieces for large ensemble. He brings an unparalleled finesse and the classiest brand of swing to the proceedings. Percussion master Jeff Ballard’s resume speaks for itself, but most specifically his work with Brad Mehldau and with his own band Fairgrounds affirm his mastery of storytelling with rhythm. One of Patrick’s goals for Infinite Blue was to bring together established, seasoned professionals like Kimbrough and Ballard together with musicians of his own generation. There is no other musician with whom Cornelius has toured more than London-based bassist Michael Janisch, whose unrelenting groove and musical palette provide the sonic foundation for the entire album. Trombonist Nick Vayenas and has been a stalwart collaborator of Patrick’s since their days at Berklee College of Music together in the 90s, and Miami native Mike Rodriguez (who earned his stripes playing with artists from Eric Reed to Charlie Hayden to Gonzalo Rubalcaba) is one of the leading trumpet virtuosos in New York right now.

The idea for Infinite Blue struck during an airplane flight from New York to Texas on a family trip. Seated next to a window, Patrick gazed out into the clear blue expanse, toyed with a melodic fragment in his head, and was able to jot it down into composition notebook during the flight. Upon returning home, the saxophonist got to work fleshing out the composition. When his three year old daughter handed him her coloring book and a handful of crayons to play with, one of the crayons caught his eye. It was labeled 'Cielo Infinito'.

Patrick Cornelius - alto saxophone
Frank Kimbrough - piano
Michael Janisch - bass
Jeff Ballard - drums

Nick Vayenas - Trombone (1, 4, 5, 6, 9)
Michael Rodriguez - Trumpet (2, 4, 5)
John Chin (track 9 only)