Jim Butler Quartet at Sometime

Sometime, April 8, 2023

Jim Butler – sax

Jeff Curry – bass

Kevin McHugh – piano

Gene Jackson – drums

Risa Kuramoto – vocals

This dig-deep quartet with vocals swings hard. Their sold-out show at Sometime was just the right place to hear them. Kicking off with two Coltrane numbers “Moment’s Notice” and “Naima,” the group dropped right into the tunes, and jazz history, and delivered them up with nuance, drive, and passion. “Naima” was especially lovely, with a calm take that set the band into tight formation.

Butler’s original “The Red Balloon” had a bouncy groove that opened up into space for Jackson’s drumming to really shine. He’s a fantastic drummer who plays with a sense of melody as much as a sense of rhythm. Butler’s solo soared over the bluesy changes, with a gutsy appeal, and then kept driving the quartet both sets.

At the end of the first set, Kuramoto (who goes by “Risa”) joined for an up-tempo version of “Straighten Up and Fly Right.” It had the full-capacity crowd clapping along. “I Wish You Love” eased the set out to a lovely finish. A short break was in order, but at the door, people kept being turned away. Nearly everyone stayed for the second set.

Round two kicked off with two of Butler’s originals, set to be recorded this summer for a new CD. “The Prevaricator” had a great rhythm that drew the quarter into even tighter sync. The catchy melody was taut and open enough to let everyone solo. “Hollowed Out Nation” was cool and sleek with more great soloing from every member of the group.

McHugh was especially tasteful on his solos, his delicate phrasing coming through the robust sound on both numbers. Curry also soloed with a keen sense of melody. His bass has a fluidity that not only punches up the energy but turns his solos into compositions of their own. Butler’s solos burst through the melodic and harmonic patterns with fresh ideas and strong blowing. He’s not a technician so much as a lover of musicality. That made all the melody lines come across powerfully.

At the end of the second set, Kuramoto returned with a rousing version of “I Mean You” that showed off her great scatting. She really kept pace with the heavyweights around her by matching lines with them with scat after scat. Her original 「にしきのゆめ」(“Nishiki no Yume”) sung in Japanese was especially appealing. The first encore, “Just One of Those Things,” was taken at a fast tempo with a great sense of burning fun. And finally, Butler’s original “The Hurricane” was well-named, blowing through the room, with the crowd left clapping for more.