Music Review // Jessica Jones Quartet "Continuum" (Reva Records)

https://jessicajonessaxophone.bandcamp.com/album/continuum //

I believe in alternate timelines.   That is to say that if you had to choose between going to college or the military, for example, and you chose the miltary then there is an entire timeline out there somewhere in which you chose college.   In my youth, I played the alto sax in the school band and still remember most of the fingering.   In some alternate timeline I probably stuck with it after high school and even if I didn't become a jazz legend I could have at least been more of a musician than I am now.

I'm not sure what the ratio is of kids who play instruments in grade school to those who don't (I think they all should at least have to try) and I don't know what happens to them afterwards (Do they still think "Man, I miss playing the trumpet?" or is it all the same to them as eating cafeteria food?) but I know I hold a fond place in my heart for the saxophone and always will because I played it growing up.    Needless to say I definitely enjoy how sax-based "Continuum" is. 

The sounds are smooth, with an even tempo and on a song such as "Wither Without You" (which is a great play on words, by the way) it can even begin to feel sad.    There is minimal percussion on here and the sax just stands out over everything else.   The titular track feels like walking and in that sense it reminds me of Odd Jazz, who is among my favorite names in jazz right now.     Through bass line, "Just As It Is (Ed's Song)" starts off frantic and is the only song on the album with singing as well.    If I could go back in time this reminds me a bit of Us3. 

"Continuum Reprise" has that ramblin' guitar feel with what sounds like trumpet but might be the sax still.  Back and forth acoustic guitar notes make it feel like it's somewhere between China and the banjo of a swampland.    This shows that the albums- the artists creating it- have this way of making the music sound different throughout the songs even though it's easy for me just to say "SAX" and you'll get the general idea.   Still, as far as modern makers of music go, Jessica Jones Quartet is among the elite and this is one of those rare jazz albums where I think everyone will enjoy it, even if you're not a fan of "jazz"-- it transcends genre.