Jerome Sabbagh, Stand Up! Review

Jerome Sabbagh: Stand Up! And Let Music Flow

By Ferrell Aubre

From its opening moments, Stand Up! announces itself as a statement of musical exploration by saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh. This is the sound of a band that knows how to sit inside a groove together, how to let the music develop, and how to let momentum emerge without forcing it. Sabbagh’s long-standing quartet, reuniting on record after more than a decade, doesn’t chase urgency. Instead, it settles into presence, letting feel and interaction do the heavy lifting.

“Lone Jack” sets that tone of the album. There’s a relaxed Motown-meets-contemporary jazz undercurrent that feeds a steady vibe that never rushes its purpose. Sabbagh’s tenor arrives centered and unforced, shaped around melody rather than gesture. Ben Monder’s guitar, meanwhile, introduces a distinct edge in his solo, carrying a rock-fusion bite that adds tension without disrupting the flow. The ensemble holds the feel collectively, balancing classic grounding with modern coloration, establishing the album’s core value of continuity without complacency.

That sense of shared ownership runs through the entire quartet. Joe Martin’s bass functions as an anchor, as it guides direction and pulse. Nasheet Waits’ drumming supplies a constantly responsive pulse, shaping time by marking a concise feel. Monder remains a master of texture and implication, allowing colors, grit, and harmony to coexist. Sabbagh, at the center, leads through clarity. His lines are direct, lyrical, and patient, grounded in post-bop vocabulary but open to broader melodic terrain.

Midway through the record, “Mosh Pit” shifts the energy decisively. Where much of the album favors grounded flow, this piece leans into contemporary jazz exploration, layering rhythmic activity and harmonic motion while flirting with free ensemble interaction. The tension here is fluid rather than confrontational as the band moves in and out of a defined, structured groove, letting collective improvisation expand and contract organically. It’s one of the album’s moments that tests how flexible modern jazz can be.

The recording itself plays a crucial role in how this music lands. Captured live to two-track analog tape at the Power Station, the sound prioritizes human interaction and captures the space in which it lives. You hear air around the instruments, depth in the room, and the subtle negotiations that happen between players who are truly listening. This isn’t analog as aesthetic, instead it’s analog as part of the process of documentation, reinforcing the album’s commitment to honesty and immediacy.

By the time the record reaches its closing stretch, SStand Up! turns reflective without losing its center. “Unbowed” arrives as a contemporary jazz ballad that feels less like a conclusion than an affirmation. Open, flowing harmony supports a relaxed, singable melody, while Martin and Waits create a rhythmic setting that moves with dynamism. Sabbagh’s solo unfolds lyrically and patiently, his development rooted firmly in post-bop language but shaped by restraint and intention. Monder colors rather than asserts, allowing the tune to resolve gently, without closing off possibilities.

What makes Stand Up! resonate is that every performance and composition is a device that aligns around shared values. This is a record about standing behind choices of musical performances, personal, and collective. It doesn’t argue for relevance or innovation. It simply demonstrates what happens when long-term collaboration, integrity, and feel are allowed to lead.