Flatbed Buggy

Fans of drummer Rudy Royston’s contributions to Bill Frisell’s jazz-Americana hybrid may see the rustic-looking cover of his third album and expect something like a folk or blues outing. But while he may have been inspired by childhood memories of rural Texas, Royston reveals a musical vision here that reflects his contemporary New York sensibility. A chamber instrumentation consisting of accordion, cello, bass clarinet, bass, and drums combines for a raw, bohemian sound. Royston composes fine orchestration and interplay into the serpentine bop of “Bobblehead” and the twin coming-of-age tracks “boy...MAN” and “girl...WOMAN.” In contrast, short twang-and-groove interludes like “Dirty Stetson” and “Hold My Mule” convey easy momentum and open space, offering a felt sense of the album’s title.

Rudy Royston, first-call drummer with Bill Frisell, JD Allen, Dave Douglas and a host of other jazz greats, has honed a thoroughly engaging voice as a composer and bandleader with his compelling debut 303 (2014) and the raw and bracing trio follow-up Rise of Orion (2016). Flatbed Buggy, his third album as a bandleader, is rich in tonal contrast and mood yet steeped in the supple, enduring swing and groove that has driven his writing and playing from the start. Royston leads a compact, almost chamber-like quintet featuring Gary Versace (accordion), John Ellis (woodwinds), Hank Roberts (cello) and Joe Martin (bass). There’s an endless amount to discover: the melodic development and final triumphant letting-loose of the opening “Soul Train”; the hint of New Orleans rhythm in “Flatbed Buggy”; the picture of innocence in a young child twirling, on “Twirler,” with a startlingly brilliant tempo shift into slow swing; or the fast, twisty theme and saxophone showcase of “Bobble Head.”