Layers of the City

Layers of the City[1] is the 12th album by bassist Ben Allison. It was released on Allison's own Sonic Camera label on June 22, 2017. The album reached #9 on the JazzWeek Charts in July, 2017.[2]

Layers of the City
Studio album by
Ben Allison
Released2017
GenreJazz
LabelSonic Camera
Ben Allison chronology
The Stars Look Very Different Today
(2013)		 Layers of the City
(2017)

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
DownBeat[3]
All About Jazz[4]
Jazz TrailA–[5]

In a review for DownBeat, Paul de Barros called the album "a lovely sonic moving picture," and wrote that it "offers an engaging range of sonic impressions of Allison's home base, New York. Allison has always had a fine ear for tricky melodies, playful moods and an occasional dollop of world beat and free improv, and this album is no exception."[3]

Writing for Jazz Trail, Filipe Freitas admired the album's "empowerment and enchantment," and stated: "The quintet's good chemistry is never in question and the music becomes a pure reflection of their cohesive spontaneity. Layers of the City mirrors Allison's uniquely expressive compositional style with illuminated strokes of genius, becoming an important entry in the bassist's stupendous discography."[5]

Mac Randall of Jazz Times noted the album's "mood of deep thoughtfulness with a touch of mystery," and singled out "Blowback" for praise, calling it "an object lesson in the transmutational possibilities that a piece of music can contain."[6]

In an article for JazzIz, Matt Micucci commented: "Like so many of Allison's previous releases, this one is consistently engaging and surprising, not unlike the metropolis that inspired it — his hometown of New York City, with its contrasting layers of grime and gleam, grit and dazzle."[7]

Bird is the Worm's Dave Sumner stated that Allison "hasn't so much sought out a balance between divergent elements as he's found a way for them to coexist with a measured peacefulness," and noted that this "allows the more extreme qualities to stand out, side by side, one not dulling the sensation of the others, even as they work together to forge a middle-ground."[8]

Track list

All compositions by Ben Allison.

  1. "Magic Number" – 6:47
  2. "Enter the Dragon" – 8:12
  3. "Ghost Ship" – 4:40
  4. "Layers of the City" – 4:44
  5. "The Detective's Wife" – 6:18
  6. "Blowback" – 5:14
  7. "Get Me Offa This Thing" – 5:15

Personnel

References
  1. "Layers of the City". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  2. "JazzWeek Charts" (PDF). jazzweek.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  3. de Barros, Paul (October 2017). "Ben Allison: Layers Of The City". DownBeat. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  4. Leonardi, Angelo (July 10, 2017). "Ben Allison: Layers Of The City". All About Jazz. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  5. Freitas, Filipe (August 7, 2017). "Ben Allison - Layers Of The City". Jazz Trail. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  6. Randall, Mac (September 15, 2017). "Ben Allison: Layers Of The City". Jazz Times. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  7. Micucci, Matt (December 28, 2017). "Ben Allison - Layers Of The City". JazzIz. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  8. Sumner, Dave (September 25, 2017). "The Round-up: When words fail, the heart beats stronger". Bird is the Worm. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  9. "Layers of the City — BEN ALLISON | Bassist • Composer • Producer • Educator".
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