Color Country (Jazzed5 Records 794504407112, 2014)
Color Country is jazz musical tribute to Utah’s landscapes developed by Las Vegas-based (Nevada) trombonist Kevin Stout and Salt Lake City (Utah) tenor saxophonist Brian Booth.
Utah is famous for its five national parks and stunning views. This is reflected in a connection of instrumentals that feature structured and improvised trombone and saxophone solos.
Each of the pieces on Color Country is dedicated to a specific place or geographical wonder in Utah. The musical influences include straight-ahead American jazz, cinematic sounds, Latin jazz, Afro-Caribbean, and Brazilian samba.
The rest of the lineup on Color Country includes Joey Singer on piano, John Abraham on drums and Tom Warrington on bass.
Kevin Stout and Brian Booth’s earlier collaborations include Good Pals (2002), Up Jazz Creek (2003) and Tales of the Tetons (2005).
Color Country is a delightful cross-cultural jazz album by two old friends from Utah who clearly enjoy collaborating with each other.