Marquis Hill: Rituals + Routines review – cosmic jazz the mindful way | Jazz

Since winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk award in 2014 at age 27, Chicago trumpeter Marquis Hill has thrilled the jazz faithful while positioning his music in the wider traditions of R&B and hip-hop – the music he grew up with. His previous album, 2022’s New Gospel Revisited, was a live tour de force that showcased his post-bop stylings with a high-energy band.

Rituals + Routines is a different animal, a 24-minute look at daily life inviting us to “establish meaningful rituals” – in other words, to practise mindfulness. Each of its eight tracks comes with cosmic thoughts – “When we breathe in that is God coming within us,” Hill advises on Breathe – while the music unfurls in a series of highly charged atmospheres. Stretch (The Body) is taken at a lively canter, showcasing some mesmeric vibraphone from Joel Ross, a frequent accompanist, while Cleanse (The Waters) is slow, with Hill’s trumpet and Braxton Cook’s alto sax wrestling excitedly together. Peace (Be Still) has a spoken-word piece from vocalist G Thomas Allen sunk beneath an ethereal drone, while Break (Fuel) is dense and discordant. Bristling with ideas and a playful edge (“toys” are among its listed instruments), it confirms its creator as a challenging leading man.

Since winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk award in 2014 at age 27, Chicago trumpeter Marquis Hill has thrilled the jazz faithful while positioning his music in the wider traditions of R&B and hip-hop – the music he grew up with. His previous album, 2022’s New Gospel Revisited, was a live tour de force that showcased his post-bop stylings with a high-energy band.

Rituals + Routines is a different animal, a 24-minute look at daily life inviting us to “establish meaningful rituals” – in other words, to practise mindfulness. Each of its eight tracks comes with cosmic thoughts – “When we breathe in that is God coming within us,” Hill advises on Breathe – while the music unfurls in a series of highly charged atmospheres. Stretch (The Body) is taken at a lively canter, showcasing some mesmeric vibraphone from Joel Ross, a frequent accompanist, while Cleanse (The Waters) is slow, with Hill’s trumpet and Braxton Cook’s alto sax wrestling excitedly together. Peace (Be Still) has a spoken-word piece from vocalist G Thomas Allen sunk beneath an ethereal drone, while Break (Fuel) is dense and discordant. Bristling with ideas and a playful edge (“toys” are among its listed instruments), it confirms its creator as a challenging leading man.