In a city where basement jams, velvet‑booth jazz clubs and late‑night warehouse sessions blur into one long groove, Detroit bassist and bandleader Noah Jackson has been quietly shaping a sound that now arrives in full focus. His new album, “Full Circle,” released April 24, pulls together years of music making across the city’s stages and after-hours spaces – just in time for a weekend-long album release celebration at Cliff Bell’s.
“Full Circle” is Jackson’s sophomore album as a bandleader and reflects years of development in Detroit, including extended residencies and performances at venues across the region. A group of original tunes – all composed by Jackson except one by Allen Denard – the project is rooted in groove-driven jazz while leaving room for open-ended improvisation and collective interaction. Tracks like the gorgeous “Smoke and Mirrors” evoke shades of Mulgrew Miller’s Wingspan recordings, and the jamming closer, “Be ‘Bout It” (first released as a single ahead of the album release) makes “Full Circle” a must-hear for jazz lovers.
A Detroit native, Jackson is known for his work as a sideman with artists such as Abdullah Ibrahim and Branford Marsalis, experiences that helped shape his approach to composition and bandleading. On “Full Circle,” he leads a quintet assembled with specific musicians in mind, encouraging in-the-moment interpretation rather than strict recreation of written material.
Jackson and his band will play two shows both Friday and Saturday nights at downtown Detroit’s Cliff Bell’s.
“Folks can expect to be taken on a journey, to feel like they’re in a different place,” he said ahead of the performances. “It’s not your mother’s jazz music. I invite people to come with an open mind and let the music take them. Once they’re taken by the moment, the music will create the experience that they’re looking for. They can expect fire on the stage, intensity, authenticity – music to make you feel good and make you want to move, and that’s the whole point. It’s meant to stir something up inside you. Listeners can come expecting to feel moved.”
Noah Jackson ‘Full Circle’ album release concerts
When: Friday, April 24; Saturday, April 25, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Where: Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. cliffbells.com
Tickets: $25
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit bassist Noah Jackson’s new album reflects years of making music in city
Reporting by Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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