Tim Haldeman
Open Water As a Child
What began as an homage to Flint, Michigan at the Ann Arbor Jazz Festival has resulted in one of the more powerful recordings to hit the shelves in 2018. The ratio of contemplation to fury serves the dual purpose of getting each extreme to feed off one another, as well as amplify their resonance via contrasting qualities. When the group adopt an introspective demeanor, it generates intensity, and when the sextet unleash everything they’ve got, there’s a thoughtfulness that gives the wildness a sense of purpose. Tenor saxophonist Tim Haldeman is joined by alto saxophonist Dan Bennett, cellist Jordan Schug, trumpeter Justin Walter, bassist Ben Willis, drummer Jonathan Taylor, and vocalist John Goode, whose NPR-friendly dulcet tone adds a nice texture to two of the album’s five pieces.