Sara Caswell — The Way To You (Anzic Records, 2023)
After a seventeen-year hiatus as a leader, jazz violinist Sara Caswell re-emerged with The Way to You, a recording that, despite its delayed release, feels as fresh and vital as ever. Tracked in 2019, this album presents Caswell’s signature amalgam of lyricism, technical skill, and deep musical intuition, reaffirming her place as one of jazz’s most expressive and compelling violinists.
Her seasoned quartet features dazzling guitarist Jesse Lewis, along with bassist Ike Sturm, and drummer Jared Schonig, a rhythm section that provides a flexible yet solid foundation. Adding an extra dimension, virtuoso vibraphonist Chris Dingman appears on four tracks.
The set opens with “South Shore,” a Nadje Noordhuis composition that unfurls like a sunrise, with Caswell’s violin soaring over gentle waves. “Stillness,” written by Sturm, offers a meditative space, where Dingman’s vibraphone adds an almost celestial glow. But it’s Egberto Gismonti’s “7 Aneis” that truly ignites, highlighting Caswell’s ability to dance through complex rhythms with effortless grace.
The elegant title track, “The Way to You,” is an introspective reimagining of Michel Legrand’s “On My Way to You.”
Notably, Caswell shines most brilliantly on the album’s livelier excursions, particularly Kenny Barron’s “Voyage,” where she digs in with fervor, unleashing a solo that brims with urgency and excitement.
Three of the nine tracks are Caswell originals, positioned back-to-back . Among them, “Spinning” stands out, a hypnotic meditation where her exquisite violin speaks in hushed yet deeply evocative tones.
The album closes with Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “O Que Tinha de Ser,” where Caswell swaps violin for the hardanger d’amore, an instrument that lends a softer, rounder timbre, perfect for the piece’s hushed, melancholic beauty.
Musicians: Sara Caswell on violin; Jesse Lewis on guitar; Ike Sturm on bass; Jared Schonig on drums; and
Chris Dingman on vibraphone.
Buy The Way to You.