May 2011

Jimmy Haslip featuring Joe Vannelli
Nightfall

By Philip Booth

On Nightfall, Haslip’s first solo album since 2000’s Red Heat, he’s joined by keyboardist and producer Joe Vannelli for a set of heavily textured tracks characterized by multilayered keys and synths and programmed drums and percussion. Haslip’s awe-inspiring bass chops are amply on display, but the disc suffers from a certain sonic sameness. Several of Nightfall’s highlights, including the lush title track, the Latin-spiked “Casa De Oro” and the mellow “Palo Alto,” benefit from the presence of Mintzer or a smartly attuned horn section.