When Nolatet released their debut album Dogs in 2016, many observers assumed it was a one-off project from four very busy musicians. But with this Friday’s release of No Revenge Necessary on Royal Potato Family, which follows a successful national tour and with five dates already set during Jazz Fest, it appears the band is here to stay.
Nolatet features three stalwarts of the New Orleans music scene—drummer Johnny Vidacovich, bassist James Singleton, and vibraphonist/ percussionist Mike Dillon. The pianist Brian Haas is the wild card for New Orleans listeners. Haas, who lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is the founder the acclaimed experimental jazz trio Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, proves on this recording to be much more than the special guest he sounded like on Dogs.
Haas and Singleton (a prolific creator of music in all of his many projects) each composed four of the nine tracks on No Revenge Necessary. Dillon contributed “Elegant Miss J,” one of the tracks where his touch on the vibraphone demonstrates his ability to shift on a dime and gives Vidacovich a chance to play off the vibes.
Singleton punches up the intro of his song “Dikefinger” on the pocket trumpet, adding a layer to a band with a sound that is already deeply layered. Haas’s piano provides an optimistic tinkle to an ominous vibe before Dillon pushes the tune with a killer vibe solo. Vidacovich adds numerous percussive touches creating what can only be described as a musical painting with many colors. The pocket trumpet returns as the elegiac outro of the final cut, “Malabar.”
No Revenge Necessary is a necessary addition to the growing body of work this band is developing. As an improvisation-based ensemble, they have added nine songs to their repertoire that will continue to evolve in the live setting.
Here’s where they are playing in the coming weeks:
April 26 – Ogden Museum of Southern Art
April 27 – The Music Box
April 29 – Marigny Opera House
May 1 – Louisiana Music Factory (in-store)
May 4 – John Bukaty Studio & Gallery (w/ Anders Osborne)
