Bobby Watson & Horizon: Horizon Reassembled (2004 – Palmetto Records)

To properly appreciate this CD, according to its leader, you need to listen to it five times.
He says his five-listen mandate is so listeners can hear each player’s contributions, which he details in clear and concise linear notes: pianist Edward Simon’s Latin influence, bassist Essiet Essiet’s African presence, drummer Victor Lewis’ drum technique, the thinking behind the solo lines of Terell Stafford on trumpet and flugelhorn, and – finally – Watson’s alto playing. The notes are better than average in their guidance and a fine incentive to set aside an evening with the CD player programmed on “repeat.”
The largely up-tempo nature of this album plays to the strengths of the group, which clearly hasn’t lost the ability to communicate despite a lengthy interlude. Their credentials are established within four minutes of the opening straight-ahead “Lemoncello,” largely by Watson’s driving exploration of his diamond-hard tone, but Stafford also shows he’s come to play with a decent collection of riffs that build well off each other. Most everyone does a bit of true “happy band” romping on the title track, and the closing “Xangongo” has a strong bit of world beat and group-think interaction going for it.
Watson’s advice to listen for things such as which of two snare drums Lewis selects is a good indicator of the subtle complexity of his backing, mostly seeking to earn respect rather than grabbing center stage and demanding it. Like Essiest’s percussion-like bass lines, this may need revisiting to appreciate. Still, Lewis builds things up to an intense fury in Simon’s Latin-themed “Pere,” culminating in a savage bit of kit abuse accompanied by the pianist’s simple vamp.
Things fall off a bit when the group slows down. “The Look Of Love” is an unremarkable effort by Watson and Stafford to soothe instead of challenge. “The Love We Had Yesterday” by Watson’s wife, Pam, features a pleasing enough melody, but again Watson and Stafford don’t seem inclined to elevate things beyond that surface level of satisfaction. Wanting to keep the mood level isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but since most of this album hardly seems intended to occupy the background of listeners’ minds it feels like there’s potential to get more out of these songs. The Watson originals “Dark Days” and its subsequent interlude get somewhat better treatment from Stafford and Simon, aided by the slow, moody R&B backdrop.
This may not be Watson at his absolute best, but Horizon Reassembled deserves a place among the very solid albums in his discography. Fans will enjoy it and the finer moments will no doubt lure some new listeners into seeking out other albums that offer more of them.
Mark Sabbatini (All About Jazz)

Track list:
1. Lemoncello
2. Pere
3. Love We Had Yesterday, The
4. Ginger Bread Boy
5. Horizon Reassembled
6. Look of Love, The
7. Eeeyyess
8. Permanoon
9. Dark Days
10. Dark Days (Interlude)
11. Xangongo

Personnel:
Bobby Watson (alto sax)
Terell Stafford (fluglehorn, trumpet)
Edward Simon (piano)
Essiet Essiet (bass)
Victor Lewis (drums)

Original Release Date: June 29, 2004  –  Label: Palmetto Records

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