It's called Alone Together and everyone played that way, as if they were alone in the studio even though the rest of the band was there, too. Everything seems to be a free-for-all; trumpet, drums, piano, bass - they all just jam in their own little corner of the studio. They don't seem to be cogent - yet, somehow, the songs remain recognizable.
Interestingly, the first four songs were written by Marc Copland, yet Hagans' trumpet is the star. He's extremely articulate; he plays with a strong and sometimes moist tone. In fact, many times it seems to be harsh. He bursts into a song, there's nothing subtle about it. Copland's piano provides a soft background for the strong trumpet. Meanwhile, the drums seem to suffer from attention deficit disorder though that's not a bad thing in a musical context. Ruckert never rests long anywhere, sticks clicking over every cymbal and drum. He displays some fantastic timing.
Those first few original compositions seem to follow a pattern: they're like a competition of solos. Copland's piano takes the stage, then Ruckert's drums. "See You Again" shows off Ruckert's ability to jam. "Sweet Peach Tree" lets the bass player have a solo. Hagans' trumpet trounces all over the softer shuffle of the drums and cascade of piano. At times, though, they all meet and the songs smooth out. It feels like they ramble.
The last three songs are standards. "You Don't Know What Love Is" suits Hagans' trumpet very well. It's a gorgeous, tender song that soothed the entire band. They play well together. "Alone Together" and "Stella by Starlight" wrap up the CD.
It seems like there's no structure to these songs; however, it's there, it's just very complicated. For a new jazz listener, this may be too much to take in at once.
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