On 2023's
The Winds of Change,
Billy Childs embraces a thrilling, deeply sophisticated post-bop sound that evokes his work from the early '70s and '80s with artists like
Freddie Hubbard and
J.J. Johnson.
The Winds of Change marks his third album with the jazz-friendly
Mack Avenue label, following 2017's Grammy-winning
Rebirth and 2020's
Acceptance. As with those records, here
Childs leads a small group, this time a veritable all-star ensemble featuring trumpeter
Ambrose Akinmusire, bassist
Scott Colley, and drummer
Brian Blade. Together, they delve into a mix of originals and covers inspired by
Childs' longtime passion for film music, especially the moody West Coast film noir, neo-noir, and hard-boiled soundtracks associated with composers like
Jerry Goldsmith,
Michel Legrand, and
Bernard Herrmann. The opening "The Great Western Loop" (perhaps a reference to
Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest?) begins with a spiraling piano riff offset by big, chunky, dark bass hits and
Akinmusire's climbing trumpet melody. It's a kinetic, harmonically rich composition that wouldn't sound out of place on any of
Freddie Hubbard's fusion-influenced albums. That song along with the shimmering, late-afternoon balladry of the title track and the slow-churning "The End of Innocence" also feel like a song cycle. Part of this is due to the empathetic interplay between
Childs and
Akinmusire, who both play with a painterly touch, their shadowy harmonies caressing the vast cityscapes and West Coast mountain ranges the songs seem to conjure. Just as evocative are the covers, including an airy take of
Chick Corea's 1972 composition "Crystal Silence" where
Akinmusire's breathy trumpet veritably traces the glassy surface of
Childs' chordal lake. There's also a roiling, militaristic rendition of
Kenny Barron's "The Black Angel," originally featured on the aforementioned
Hubbard's 1970 album of the same name, a further affirmation of the deeply personal influences at play on
The Winds of Change. ~ Matt Collar
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