Shine 	5:50
First Circuit 	3:47
A Still Life 	6:17
Epistrophy 	7:48
Amalgame 	4:18
Narcined 	4:49
One Wheeler Will 	7:30
The Last Circuit 	4:20
Before With After 	2:46
For Turiya 	9:06

Acoustic Bass – Drew Gress (tracks: 1 to 9)
Acoustic Bass - Charlie Haden (track 10)
Drums – EJ Strickland (tracks: 1 to 9)
Harp - Brandee Younger (track 10)
Piano – Luis Perdomo (tracks: 1 to 9)
Tenor Saxophone, Producer – Ravi Coltrane

Ravi Coltrane's second CD as a leader for the Savoy label (his fifth overall) is balanced between improvisation based on spontaneous themes and compositions that have a certain direction, both concepts blessed with a purpose and vision. Blending Times, as its title implies, signifies his coming of age, his dedication to finding his own voice on the tenor saxophone, and his use of a free-form approach much like his famous parents, John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane, in their later years. Armed with a skilled band of pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer E.J. Strickland, Ravi Coltrane is quite able to utilize his dual stylistic persona in ways that work in terms of accessibility and freshness, blending the roots of his heritage and bloodlines into his own hard-fought and compelling mannerisms. Perdomo, who has worked with the saxophonist for a number of years, is particularly brilliant and close to amazing, wending his way in and out of stated short phrases or motifs on the improvisations and contributing the opener, "Shine," a saintly spiritual tune gliding -- although free of a time signature -- beyond beauty. Ralph Alessi's "One Wheeler Will" is the singular piece cemented in distinguishable phrases -- albeit in a choppy and kinetic 13/8 ostinato -- rooted in the N.Y.C. neo-bop that defined contemporary jazz in the 1980s. The nine-minute "For Turiya" was written many years ago by Charlie Haden for Alice Coltrane, and here it is revised, with Brandee Younger on harp, Haden on his ever stoic and soulful bass, and Ravi Coltrane's somber and remorseful tenor sax echoing an ultimate elegy epilogue prayer. The band stretches Thelonious Monk's "Epistrophy" via a quick, cleverly executed waltz in a 4/4 framework with a lopped-off beat at the end of each completed phrase, further emphasized by Perdomo's picture-perfect swaths and swipes. Five of the free-form pieces are credited as improvisations conceived and directed by Ravi Coltrane, and all have a similar but non-threatening quality of patience, virtue, and sharing, merging from various duo settings to the full band eventually joining in. "First Circuit" is a free bop jam, while "A Still Life" has a two-note bass call from the ever present Gress merging into currents and torrents à la John Coltrane's sheets of sound concept. "Amalgams" is another floating/spiritual combine, "Narcined" is an unforced funky butt dance, and "Before with After" is a somber prelude to "For Turiya." Where Ravi Coltrane's sound may not be immediately identifiable, he has for sure made his craft a viable and attractive sound in a marketplace where there are many players who closely imitate his legendary father. This is a very fine effort, understated overall, and one that can easily be recommended to all modern jazz lovers who find room for unconventional music not branded by academia, the so-called tradition, or overt commercial considerations. ---Michael G. Nastos, AllMusic Review

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1. Roads Cross (5:04)
2. Klepto (7:30)
3. Spirit Fiction (2:28)
4. The Change, My Girl (6:47)
5. Who Wants Ice Cream (6:32)
6. Spring & Hudson (2:21)
7. Cross Roads (4:03)
8. Yellow Cat (6:50)
9. Check Out Time (7:26)
10. Fantasm (4:08)
11. Marilyn & Tammy (5:42)

Personnel: 
Ravi Coltrane - tenor & soprano saxophones; 
Joe Lovano - tenor saxophone (9, 10); 
Louis Perdomo - piano (1, 3, 4, 7, 11); 
Drew Gress -bass (1, 3, 4, 7, 11); 
EJ Strickland - drums (1, 3, 4, 7, 11); 
Ralph Alessi -trumpet (2, 5, 8, 9); 
Geri Allen - piano (2, 5, 8-10); 
James Genus - bass (2, 5, 8, 9); 
Eric Harland - drums (2, 5, 8, 9).

It's easy to imagine the double-takes that must have occurred when introductions were being made around New York in the early 1990s. "What'd you say your last name is, son?" Let's face it, if you're walking around with the name of a God, your last name is Coltrane and your first name is not John, and you're going to play the tenor saxophone, same as your old man, people are going to want to know what that's all about.

Ravi Coltrane is not and has never been a pretender trading on his family legacy. He paid his dues as a sideman, and his dates as a leader have shown a steady march forward in his personal playing style and as a composer. He doesn't sound like his father, and if his last name was Smith he'd still one damned good musician. Nevertheless, there was some palpable excitement when—it seems like ages ago, in 2010—it was announced that the younger Coltrane had signed with the storied Blue Note Label. Even the New York Times ran an article—not about music, but about music that had yet to be made. Coltrane at Blue Note made for a rarity in jazz these days: buzz in the wider world.

Well, almost three years Later, we finally have the record, Spirit Fiction, and it's safe to say that this artist/label collaboration is a spectacular success. Coltrane vaults himself to a new level of compositional and improvisational excellence with a record that's a complete, seamless musical statement. Despite using a blend of two separate bands, as well as a guest appearance by fellow tenorist Joe Lovano (who also co-produced the record), there is a textural unity to the music that just feels whole. But that wholeness doesn't come at the expense of creative freedom; quite the opposite, in fact. The record is dense with intertwining musical ideas that weave together into whole cloth. Between tracks, individual songs veer between borderless improvisation and well-crafted melodies, but they all compliment each other, never sounding disconnected as the record proceeds. Swapping out musical ideas like that on a single date can sometimes leave a record feeling a little like a scholastic exercise: now here's our free piece; now here's our ballad. Not here. The consistency of Coltrane's horn—clean and firm—binds it all together into solid coherence. That's a good trick considering there are two separate bands in play here.

With Spirit Fiction, Coltrane has attained new level of personal musical accomplishment. This is a fully realized musical statement that stands solidly from beginning to end. It's a well-oiled performance from a cast that has obvious affinity for the leader and the chops to carry out his vision. The name Coltrane may evoke instant nostalgia for a legend, but today it also means something else. Coltrane: a great player, playing now, with a great band and a great record. Let's have some more of this, please. ---Gregg Simons, allaboutjazz.com

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