'Never Would We' by Bright Dog Red

"Created entirely with human intelligence."

These words accompany the latest release of Bright Dog Red's milestone new full-length 'Never Would We'.  Perhaps delivered with tongue firmly in cheek, with the increasing prominence of over-the-counter AI software that can emulate all aspects of music from lyrics, instrumentation and even vocals within seconds, declaring the distinction may - in time - prove to be a compulsory disclaimer for all new music.

So for fear of living in a future which ultimately diminishes the human component within new music releases, it may be best that we embrace the treasures while we have them at our disposal.  The great Bill Evans once unwittingly prophesised upon the paradoxical nature of jazz in these times rejecting the idea that it was something to be analysed as an intellectual theorem when it could only be described as "feeling".

If Bill Evans' unrivalled insight holds water then jazz should be safe from artificial intervention for some time yet... and when considering the quintessential human element within the genre, one collective who couldn't place it in safer hands would be New York's Bright Dog Red.  

A collective that epitomise the skill of progressive and improvised jazz, theirs is an artform that has been cultivated over the release of ten albums, including eight released through the revered Ropeadope Records.  (A distinction that places them in rare air alongside Christian Scott and Aaron Dolton.)

Bright Dog Red have chartered a scintillating journey since debuting on Ropeadope with 'Means to the Ends' in 2018.  With each release subsequently immersing itself into inspired new narratives and delving ever deeper into more varied musical constructs and soundscapes, Bright Dog Red have continually treated each new project as a clean slate and opted to boldly dive head-first into the unknown.

Headed-up by drummer and founder Joe Pignato, the Bright Dog Red ensemble for 'Never Would We' comprises bassists Tim Lefebvre and Anthony Berman, bassists and guitarists Jerome Harris and Tyreek Jackson, trumpeter Martin Loyato, saxophonist Mike LaBombard, Cody Davies on sounds and electronics with Matt Coonan, Christian Black and Randal Horton tackling the spoken word portions of the album.

Using the concept of 'denial' as the group's starting point, 'Never Would We' presents ten tracks in the typical Bright Dog Red vein of unpredictability when it comes to musical directions that will be adopted throughout the album.  While there are certainly tracks that embrace their trippy and futuristic take on jazz like 'Tumbling Down' and 'And the Herald Blared', there are also some wonderfully understated tracks that serve as a real treat.  The confident swagger of 'Can't Watch' is a delight as is the nine-minute gem 'Long Arc'; the album's title track finds an effortless comfort in this middle ground where noir jazz meets 90s trip-hop - another fantastic track.

'Never Would We' must surely be unveiled by the band with beaming pride - theirs has been a wonderful career that still finds them rising to the challenge of conveying new ideas and concepts with each go-round.  They have treated their music - and their audience - with respect as they have boldly continue to create using jazz's great weapon... feeling!