The Innova label is based in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA and this recording by guitarist and composer Bill Banfield is the first of a batch of widely differing CDs kindly sent by Innova to the Jazz Mann for review purposes.

Innova is a small label that specialises not only in jazz and improvised music but also in contemporary classical recordings. Banfield’s offering is the most conventionally “jazzy” of the offerings we have received and features Banfield leading two different groups . Members of his regular working band appear on all of the nine tracks with three also featuring the more experimental ensemble, Zeitgeist.

Five of the pieces form part of Banfield’s “The Free Blues Suite”, but rather than running concurrently they are interspersed between the other tracks. Zeitgeist appear on three of the five movements of the suite. Besides his original compositions Banfield also tackles pieces written by two of his major influences, guitarist Wes Montgomery’s “The Thumb” and saxophonist John Coltrane’s “Equinox”. 

The versatile Banfield is also a modern classical composer but it is largely his jazz leanings that concern us here. The opening title track features Banfield with the Zeitgeist line up of Pat O’Keefe (reeds), Heather Barringer (xylophone, marimba, percussion), Patti Cudd (vibraphone, percussion) and Anatoly Larkin (piano). Bassist Terry Burns and electric piano specialist Keith McCutchen from Banfield’s regular band also appear. The sound is dominated by Banfield’s quicksilver guitar, initially teamed with O’Keefe’s reeds on this constantly shifting piece. McCutchen solos briefly and there are brief bursts of tuned percussion.

“Losing Absalom” teams Banfield’s guitar with Serge Aquo’s languorous electric bass and Stokley Williams’ economical drums. McCutchen and percussionist Wallace Hill are also heard on this expansive track that captures something of the melodic spirit of Montgomery or Pat Metheny. The following “She Made It Crystal Clear” also featuring Aquo and Mccutchen explores broadly similar territory. It’s all skilfully done and Aquo is certainly an impressive player in the Jaco Pastorious mould but there is nothing here that hasn’t been done better before. 

“Free Me” is the second item in Banfield’s suite and finds him jamming in urgent fashion with Williams, Hill and Terry Burns on bass. It sounds similar to Pat Metheny’s guitar/bass/drums trio interpretations of Ornette Coleman tunes and makes for invigorating listening.

“The Thumb” is Banfield’s interpretation of one of Wes Montgomery’s best known tunes, jauntily executed in the company of Williams, Burns and Hill. 
Coltrane’s “Equinox”  sees the return of bassist Aquo alongside Banfield and Williams. The three discourse leisurely on Coltrane’s tune in lazily bluesy fashion. It’s one of the album’s most successful tracks. 

From the “Free Blues Suite”  Banfield’s original “Follow The Melody In Your Soul” is largely a piece for solo guitar, mainly improvised I suspect, full of twists and turns and Banfield’s trademark chording.

The closing two tracks , “Free You” and “Free Us”, both forming part of Banfield’s suite, are the two most ambitious- and therefore most interesting- tracks on the record. Both feature Zeitgeist with the result that the sonic palette is expanded considerably. Elements of Banfield’s classical background come into play on music that is both colourful and dramatic. The lengthy “Free Us” is the more jazz orientated of the pair with the exotic percussion of Barringer and Cudd adding to the flavour alongside O’Keefe’s reeds.

“Spring Forward” is something of a curate’s egg of a record. The Zeitgeist tracks are the most distinctive and for me the most interesting. The more conventional jazz playing tends to the bland despite the obvious ability of the musicians. Part of this is due to the smoothness of Banfield’s tone, he’s a consummate guitar player but his sound has been planed of any rough edges. “Spring Forward” is enjoyable enough but the seriousness of the liner notes led me to expect something a little more challenging.

I also received a copy of Banfield’s 2004 Innova release “Striking Balance” where the smoothness is even more pronounced. Despite an impressive cast list including Patrice Rushen, Nelson Rangell, Don Byron and Mark Ledford the music is too close to the slick but ultimately cloying output of labels such as CTI and GRP. For me this album is too smooth by half and I didn’t warm to it at all despite the undoubted skills of those involved.

Banfield is a highly talented guitarist but one feels that he is capable of producing more interesting music than much of that to be heard on these two albums. Having said that “Spring Forward” is a big improvement on it’s predecessor. Maybe his next album will be Banfield’s defining jazz statement.

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