FEEL LIKE SPRING

By Mariam Jibril

Bobby Lewis has deep insight into the art and language of jazz. Throughout his career, he has mastered the art of keeping the genre fresh without resorting to the industry’s fads. Feel Like Spring is his latest example. This track is a gorgeous composition. Here, Lewis’ trumpet, captivating of its own accord, commands the listener’s attention. What’s exceptional about this track is that the production is very minimalist; the beauty of Lewis’s trumpet is the focal point of the production, rather than fluff. This composition evokes a feeling of warmth and reflects Lewis’s introspective and flexible musicianship, all while showing off his talent on the trumpet.

Feel Like Spring captivates the listener with Lewis’s control over his trumpet’s expressive phrasing. The first notes of Lewis’s trumpet stir the season of spring to mind, and the melody conjures the imagery of sunlight emerging after a long winter. The guitarist, Andy Brown, and pianist, Pete Benson, provide excellent complements to Lewis’s trumpet. The production leaves the instruments’ sound, tone, and texture completely intact. The recording has a balmy, welcoming quality to it. In Feel Like Spring, there’s an excellent balance between the melody and the accompaniment; each player’s individual voice is distinct.

Even without words, Lewis is able to tell his emotional story in Feel Like Spring. It’s there in his phrasing, dynamics, and the way he shapes each musical idea. There is optimism here, but he keeps it from getting saccharine. Rather, the song seems to have the feeling of the return of spring after a long, cold, and/or dormant season. Work on the flugelhorn is perfect in this and creates a restful and introspective setting. The song gets its power from feeling, and invites the listener to create their own story around the melody.

What I find most compelling about the song is the balance Lewis has achieved, where he reframes his understanding of jazz to include greater melody and harmony. In Feel Like Spring, his musical vision expands across simple swing to orchestral ideas and classical structures, and the title track is a great example of this. Feel Like Spring doesn’t require a large ensemble to define itself. With a piano, guitar, and trumpet, the listener is kept focused on Lewis himself, enjoying the wonderful interaction that takes place between the three. The recording has a wonderful retro feel, but the presence of emotion makes it accessible to the modern listener.

The most interesting element to me of this song is the way Lewis has balanced the understanding of jazz he has with the inclusion of a greater degree of melody and harmony. In Feel Like Spring, Lewis’s expands his musical ideas well beyond swing. Feel Like Spring illustrates that concept: you can construct the song with a small ensemble. With a piano, guitar, and trumpet, the song lets the listener focus on Lewis and the great musical interplay. The recording has a great retro feel, but the more important thing is the emotion. With no lyrics, Lewis is able to tell an emotional story within every nuance of the song, and that conveys springtime. In this song, he has the flugelhorn work constructed in a way that evokes an internal, reflective setting. The song derives its energy from emotion because of the commentary each part contributes to the song, and each note tells a different story. Because of all this, it is an enjoyable song to listen to.