Josh Achiron: Climbing

On his debut album, Climbing, Chicago-based guitarist, composer and educator Joshua Achiron leads a trio of battle-tested musicians through a program that consists of seven of his original compositions and Duke Ellington's frisky "Take the Coltrane."

If diversity was the goal, mission accomplished. No two tracks are comparable, and the quartet traverses a broad expanse of harmonic and rhythmic territory, touching on ballads and blues to fusion and funk. Much of what Achiron has to say is at least interesting, if less than indelible, and his teammates (tenor saxophonist Geof Bradfield, bassist Clark Sommers, drummer Dana Hall) do their best to clarify and convey his impressions.

Achiron is at his best when playing handsome single-note lines, as on "Troubles Become Triumphs" or "The Pains" (the one that hurts, the one that alters), while Bradfield provides empathetic counterpoint whenever the occasion demands. He has some of his best moments on "The Only Way Is Through" and "Take the Coltrane" (recorded live), whose inclusion was not the best of ideas, as it shows what the quartet would be capable of producing given more such high-grade material.

That is not meant to imply that Achiron's themes are less than satisfactory; none of them, however, embodies the liveliness or energy of "Coltrane." Some, like "Climbing" and "The Pain That Hurts," are exploratory; others are simply pleasant. Sommers and Hall take care of business, even when that means downplaying their role and staying calm as Achiron and Bradfield take the lead. Sommers delivers a couple of neat solos, while Hall nails the target with sticks or brushes.

Climbing is a nice, largely laid-back debut album by Achiron, who shows the kind of talent and technique that might be better served in a more lively and straight-ahead milieu. Maybe next time.

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