Adam Larson, “Perpetuity,” from Second City (Inner Circle Music)
Tenor saxophonist Adam Larson’s fourth CD, Second City, is a cohesive set of straightahead quartet jazz. The well-crafted compositions, burnished tone and startling command of the instrument mark this young Bronx resident and native Midwesterner as a world-class talent. —James Rozzi
“Perpetuity” is a steamrolling track built around an insistent pulse and caroming saxophone. Its melody is thrillingly unpredictable, sometimes corkscrewing around close chromatic intervals, others times leaping clear across octaves. But there are moments in the song’s tight orchestration when the rhythm breaks open and the band can really stretch out and breathe. It’s those opposing forces — rest and motion — that make this song an engaging listen from start to finish.