The jazz audience can be divided into two camps. A select group of fortunate fans rapturously drink, smoke and dance to the sound of organ jazz. Others- this correspondent included- suffer from allergies to the divisive form.
Yet even skeptics are likely to make an exception for In Rotation. The addition of vibraphone makes the latest album overseen by Kansas City organist Chris Hazelton an uncommon variant of the organ jazz tradition.
The arrangements focused on Peter Schlamb are particularly intriguing. The vibraphonist is best known for future-forward forms of jazz, but he’s fully conversant in conventional swing settings. Schlamb’s contribution makes the opening of an interpretation of the Billy Strayhorn composition “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing”- In Rotation’s most remarkable track- breathtaking.
Saxophonist Brett Jackson excels in playing the role of George Coleman to Hazelton’s Jimmy Smith. As on Hazelton’s 2023 album After Dark, Jackson’s romantic tone pushes the recording over the top. A master in every setting, drummer John Kizilarmut sets the pace with tasteful precision.
Countless potential listeners have yet to be exposed to organ jazz. Hazelton would almost certainly encourage novices to explore the discographies of his lodestars Everette DeVan and Dr. Lonnie Smith, but In Rotation is a fine place for novices to begin the process of determining if they love or loathe organ jazz.