When Night Falls

A velvety dreamworld presented in a dark blue sleeve, featuring custom illustrations by Jara Holdert. A particularly distinctive feature is the warm sound, thanks in part to the vintage instruments the trio employs. It occupies the twilight zone between Chet Baker and Philip Catherine.

Flugelhorn, guitar, and bass acting as an inseparable unit. An incredibly atmospheric album on which the musicians—drawing on the right blend of expertise and feeling—ingeniously transform mostly well-known standards into something truly beautiful.

The new album of Dutch trumpeter Angelo Verploegen is an intimate and chamber ode to the night in all its forms; from dusk until dawn, as told by iconic jazz standards. This album also reunites Verploegen with old comrades, guitarist Ed Verhoeff and double bass player Eric van der Westen (aka The Amsterdam Jazz Trio), who share a history of more than twenty years of playing together. The first album of this trio also addressed the night, 'The Night and The Daydreamer' (A-Records, 2003) and since then the night became a recurring theme in their repertoire, as night was always the domain of the jazz musicians. But now this trio is equipped with more experience and deep attention, all leading to a twilight conversation between three old friends, talking deep into the night.

"Music without words but full of lyricism, rich in nuances and nocturnal scintillations."

Each album Angelo Verploegen makes with Just Listen Records and Jared Sacks is an eagerly awaited pleasure in our household. Beautifully played jazz in some of the best small ensemble recorded sound we get to hear. Verploegen and his partners take us to a soft, warm musical place, and Jared Sacks brings the performances right into our listening space. Just a terrific album from Just Listens Records.

In this album, Angelo Verploegen returns to his "first love" and principal instrument: the flugelhorn. Its warmer, darker tone suits the music on this album perfectly with its overall them of music for when night falls. The combination is just the right touch. While I certainly enjoy Verploegen on trumpet, he is simply marvelous to hear when he is able to pull out this wonderfully expressive instrument for a recording session.

Guitarist Ed Verhoeff provides excellent accompaniment on his 1951 Gibson electric guitar, with an excellent choice on "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" to pull out his acoustic guitar, a 1971 Manuel de la Chica flamenco guitar. Eric van der Westen's bass playing is subtle and flexible here. He does not overpower but delivers a strong supportive role with a deep woody resonant sound that carries a the rest of the group.

As Verploegen and Verhoeff trade leads, an intriguing complexity plays out in their collaborative renditions of these songs, many of which are well known standards given a distinctive new voice. Whether Carmichael's "Stardust," Donaldson's "Makin' Whoopee," Young's "Stella by Starlight," these tunes receive fresh, original and engaging interpretations.

The recorded sound reflects my ideal for a studio recording of a small ensemble. The musicians are naturally arranged in front of us, imaging is completely solid, and there is air surrounding and supporting each of the instruments (including the speaker for the electric guitar which is allowed to reverberate naturally into the environment). Nothing is spotlighted but everything is clear and detailed. The musicians sound as if they have been brought directly into my listening space.

What adds so immensely to this recording is its capture of a live performance. These performances truly are live one-take performances. This is the standard that Just Listen Records and Jared Sacks have set: record in a supportive natural acoustic setting, record as if performing live, capture it in one-take without overdubs later in post-production. And by recording his tracks to DSD 256, using very carefully selected low noise cabling and electronics, Jared delivers sound quality that is transparent, open, and true to the instruments — just beautiful.

This is yet another outstanding recording by Jared Sacks. He founded Just Listen Records with his son Jonas Sacks for just this goal — and they are succeeding brilliantly.

Highest recommendations all around.