Volume I: The Book of Norm in Bloomington, MN

Abby
is bassist and singer
Abigail Aronson
;
Norm
is her husband
Norman Zocher
. Aided by pianist
Bevan Manson
and drummer
Brooke Sofferman
,
Abby & Norm
make some of the warmest, most approachable, and yet still interesting and complex small-ensemble jazz you'll ever hear. This despite the fact that both
and
are genuine jazz academics, a position that doesn't always bode well for approachability and warmth. Their debut album consists entirely of beautifully realized
Zocher
originals (with the exception of
John Coltrane
's notoriously difficult
"Giant Steps,"
an exercise in whole-tone scales that the group executes with impressive facility). His
"Hick Licks"
sounds like a
Bill Frisell
tribute, with its gently cathartic melody and countryish inflections;
"Devolution"
is a jazz waltz based on a wonderfully sweet tune; even the threadbare raw material of
"Old Blues"
comes out sounding new (and the composition is more blues-flavored than blues-based anyway). Overall, this is one of the most rewarding jazz albums of the year. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson