Roxy Coss - Quintet (2019)

Double subtext in the name of the new album of American saxophonist Roxy Koss. Firstly, the quintet is exactly the format that Roxy loves the most and in which this album is recorded, and secondly, Quintet is exactly the fifth album in her personal discography. Five is a jubilee, albeit small, and Roxy Koss decided to celebrate it by making the fifth album an anthology of her favorite compositions from previous works, of course, in a new reading. She had plenty to choose from, because Koss is already an experienced and sophisticated master instrumentalist and band leader, as well as a talented composer.

Koss hails from Seattle, and she began to conquer the East Coast (read New York) ten years ago. She has worked with Joe Lovano, Clark Terry, Claudio Roditi, and with Jeremy Pelt, she spent two years in his ensemble. She collected her own composition (of course, a quintet) in 2008, and her first album appeared already in 2010. In this ensemble, guitarist Alex Vintz has been working with Roxy for the longest time, along with him and other quintet musicians - pianist Mika Yamanaka, bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Jimmy McBride - Koss recorded her previous album, The Future Is Female (2018). Distinctive name, isn't it? Yes, Roxy Koss is an active participant in the feminist movement, which is refracted in her jazz life. She is the founder of Women In Jazz, which unites today more than three hundred performers, since 2010 Koss has been participating in the women's big band Diva Jazz Orchestra, and in general, she is a very socially active person.

Traces of this activity can also be found in the Quintet album program. The final composition of Females Are Strong As Hell is a kind of battle cry, and the starting Don’t Cross The Coss is a formidable warning. There was a place in the album and jazz cues to the modern political life of the USA in the form of the composition Mr. President: Roxy is clearly not one of Donald Trump's fans. But I would call my favorites in this album slightly different tracks: the only cover, All or Nothing At All with its very beautiful theme and the lyrical calm ballad Enlightenment, first played on the debut album of Koss, named simply by her name. Recalling Roxie’s really vibrant game, I first of all think not about her public position, but about her music, which is worth hearing.