Furiositee!, released on EJC Music, is the latest outing from the Elliott Caine Quintet. The Elliott Caine Quintet is a Los Angeles group that, on this album, is clearly devoted to the soulful, swinging small-group jazz of the early 1960s, the golden age of hard bop, with a healthy dose of boogaloo and Latin flavor mixed in.
Leading the band is trumpeter and flugelhorn player Elliott Caine, an Indianapolis native who studied with David Baker at Indiana University and earned the nickname “the jazz optometrist” for his parallel career in eye care. He is joined by Scott Gilman on saxophone, Michael Boito on piano, Bill Markus on bass, and Don Littleton on drums, with Victor Baez adding percussion.
Track by Track:
1. Furiosity
“Furiosity” opens with a tightly wound rhythmic introduction that eventually spins off its own energy into a series of precise, focused solos. It’s a confident calling card, giving each member of the quintet a chance to introduce themselves, with Elliott Caine’s trumpet leading the way in a tone that’s bright but touched with warmth.
2. Permanent Revolution
“Permanent Revolution” is a showcase for the leader, with Elliott Caine’s trumpet front and center in a tone that’s bright but touched with warmth. The title promises urgency, and the band delivers, driving hard behind him.
3. Bossa for Kenny
“Bossa for Kenny” gives saxophonist Scott Gilman room to shine, and his playing has an almost sculptural quality, the kind of music you want to reach out and touch. There’s so much detail in every phrase that it rewards close listening, all wrapped in the gentle sway of a bossa nova groove.
4. East of the Sun
“East of the Sun” gets a respectable cha-cha treatment, a fresh spin on a well-worn standard. What stands out here isn’t any one soloist but the quintet itself, moving as a single, entertaining unit.
5. Song for Carolina
“Song for Carolina” conjures atmosphere instantly, like the score to a film noir played by a quintet. Elliott Caine’s flugelhorn appears to set the mood, with a hint of tenderness and mystery and an unresolved quality that leaves space for the listener’s imagination to wander.
6. No Jive Boogaloo
“No Jive Boogaloo” brings the quintet back together as a tight ensemble, locked into a groove that’s simply irresistible. Any toe tapping it inspires is fully earned. It’s no surprise this is the tune already getting radio play.
7. Blue Reflection
“Blue Reflection” is a driving waltz, the kind of tune you might hear on the car radio in a 1960s film as the getaway driver speeds away from the scene of the crime. It’s propulsive and suspenseful, and Elliott Caine’s trumpet fully embellishes the vibe, bringing the atmosphere vividly to life.
8. Soul Reflection
“Soul Reflection” closes the album on a note of strange optimism, like the moment at the end of a long night when the sun begins to creep through and all feels well. It’s a thoughtful, quietly hopeful piece.
Furiositee! is a confident, beautifully played album from a quintet that clearly loves the music it makes. From the tightly wound energy of the opening title track to the dawn-breaking optimism of “Soul Reflection,” the record moves through cha-cha, bossa nova, boogaloo, film noir mystery and a getaway-car waltz without ever losing its swing. Elliott Caine’s trumpet and flugelhorn lead the way, Scott Gilman’s saxophone adds sculptural detail, and the whole ensemble plays like a single, finely tuned unit. For anyone who misses the warmth and groove of early-1960s small-group jazz, this one is well worth a spin.
