Mitch Towne – Refuge (Cross Towne Records, 2025)
With Refuge, Mitch Towne grooves with a commanding presence, planting his flag firmly in the lineage of jazz organ greats while simultaneously charting his own adventurous course. A seasoned sideman with a genre-hopping résumé that spans from R&B to rock to jazz, Towne has long been the secret weapon behind countless artists. Now, he emerges as a leader with vision, conviction, and chops to spare.
Built on the time-honored foundation of the organ-guitar-drums trio, a format that dates back to Jimmy Smith’s game-changing work in the late 1950s, Towne’s ensemble doesn’t rest on vintage laurels. Rather than indulging in well-worn shuffle grooves and greasy blues, Refuge reframes the Hammond B3 as an engine of modern jazz expression.
The seven-track set opens with fire and finesse. “Wolverine” and “Act As If” charge forward with kinetic energy, highlighting Towne’s foot-pedal skill and deft left-hand bass lines, a balancing act that few pull off with such fluidity. The title track “Refuge” lives up to its name, a joyous earworm that suggests musical sanctuary in the chaos of modern life. Meanwhile, “Better Now Than Never At All” unfolds with a cool, laid-back lilt.
“Ode to Kenny” pays funky, blues-drenched homage to the late Kenny Kirkland, Towne’s spiritual touchstone. But it’s in the inclusion of Kirkland’s own “Steepian Faith” that the reverence deepens, rendered with passionate intensity and glowing organ harmonies.
Throughout the album, eclectic and adaptable guitarist Yujiro Nishiyama proves himself a sharp-edged foil, navigating both inside and outside terrain with lyrical phrasing and razor-wire precision. Behind the kit, veteran drummer Jeffery Johnson locks the trio in with hard-swinging authority, never overplaying but always pushing the pulse forward.
Towne, for his part, is a master of the modern B3 vocabulary, walking bass, comping, and soloing in a seamless flow. His work here is technically impressive.
Buy Refuge.
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