Operator

Months after the release of his widely celebrated album In Good Hands (featured on World of Jazz 534), seasoned NYC based improviser, composer, and guitarist Avi Granite has delivered another adventurous album of original music, this time with his mainstay Toronto-based project Avi Granite 6. A follow up to their critically acclaimed 2018 release Orbit, the group presents a succinct and focussed studio recording

Operator is about perseverance in the face of disruption. It’s about connectivity, communication, otherness, and what brings people together. The group navigates Granite’s compositions with a fine tuned sensitivity, finding improvisational launchpads at every turn, while retaining a clarity of ensemble unity. From the energetic opener Crushing Beans, to the soaring ballad My Sunken Ship; from the funky Ubiquitous Miles to the grind of The Long Tomorrow, Operator takes the listener on an expansive journey through the group’s thematic explorations.

The sextet includes Jim Lewis – Trumpet, Peter Lutek – Tenor and Soprano Saxophones, Tom Richards – Trombone, Avi Granite – Guitar, Compositions, Neal Davis – Bass, and , Ted Warren – Drums. The recording finds the 6 in top form, as they recorded Operator fresh off of a tour in November of 2019. Stunted by the pandemic, the album will finally see the light of day in February 2023 on Pet Mantis Records. The release will be accompanied by a tour across Canada this winter.

A fascinating album which has elements of Ornette Coleman inspired unison passages and some stunning playing and interplay. It will be featured on World of Jazz on 26th February.