JIM SNIDERO
Sound forms the basis of everything that follows. For musicians, there is no greater truth. And for alto saxophonists specifically, that gospel, and the difficult trials it presents, is magnified to the fullest. A horn not easily tamed, the alto illuminates its every utterance. Simply put, the instrument is a decisively indicative test, and nobody scores quite as high on it as Jim Snidero. With a tone quality that’s second to none—Stereophile cited his sound as “one of the richest and purest on the planet”—this lauded artist has showcased an enviable resonance in myriad contexts over the better part of the past four decades and 25 previous releases. Now, placing himself in the most exposed setting he’s ever inhabited, Snidero reaches the apex on the alto saxophone.
For All We Know, a significant milestone by numerous measures, marks the first time that Snidero sets his sights on the saxophone trio format. He states that “Up until now, I honestly didn’t quite have the confidence to cut loose the piano or guitar. They add so much color and rhythm to the group, and it’s just something I hear when playing and composing. But at this stage of my development, I feel that my sound and style have solidified to the point where I can sustain interest without a chordal instrument.”
Having reached that veracious conclusion, and realizing the time was right, Snidero set about to form the perfect trio for this watershed project. And in doing so he was absolutely committed to the magical combination of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth. “It would be a challenge to find a living bassist and drummer with more experience than Peter and Joe,” the saxophonist accurately states. “They’ve literally worked with some of the best jazz musicians in history—Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, Tommy Flanagan, and Cedar Walton, just to name a few—and they’ve recorded together on many occasions.” In fact, that dream team formed the rhythmic core of Snidero’s most recent projects—Live at the Deer Head Inn (Savant, 2021), a COVID-era capture that wowed fans and earned a prestigious 5-star review in DownBeat Magazine, and Far Far Away (Savant, 2023), which saw Snidero moving to the outer limits alongside guitar great Kurt Rosenwinkel. Looking to the present, they now join this celebrated leader in a scaled-back environment, firing the imagination through the act of fellowship on this remarkably engaging date.
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