Jerome Sabbagh
BEE JAZZ
He’s been a sideman, a collaborator, and now a trio leader in his own right. Saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh’s three-piece includes Daniel Humair on drums and Ben Monder on… did you think I was going to say “bass”? Wrong. While Humair serves up a skittering backbone for Sabbagh’s virtuosity, Monder uses his guitar to cover all of the middle ground. Whether it’s the growling low end, the soft, disembodied background fog, or just a very ripping solo, his contribution to Sabbagh’s trio guarantees to betray any old-fashioned notion of jazz guitar’s perceived limitations. The new album I Will Follow You encapsulates it all, and may go down as one of 2010’s great overlooked jazz albums.