This Is Book's Music

The simplicity of the cover photo might tell the story: saxophonist Roxy Coss laying down on her floor with saxophone nearby, perhaps daydreaming, perhaps listening to her favorite music, perhaps a bit of both. Sure, it may very well be a simple album cover pose, but it goes back to a time when it was about being in the bedroom, keeping the rest of the world distant and allowing yourself to be enraptured by the sound. That’s exactly what she does on her debut album.

The back cover has her sitting on a chair glaring outside of her window, which brings back the vibe Carole King captured on her Tapestry album. It’s downhome, it’s telling, and it’s honest, and the music here is about taking a joy in the delights of life, as she and Kate Miller (trumpet & flugelhorn), Shawn Baltazor (drums), Kellen Harrison (bass), Justin Kauflin (piano and & Fender Rhodes), and Ryan Brennan (guitar) do in each of the eight songs presented here.

What I kept in mind as I heard this is that she is well tuned into her love of jazz, but it sounds like she could play anything at any time, by request. Her work in “Lately” and “July” are remarkable, and her playing in “I Think So” is one that may be worthy of placement in motion pictures. I’m not sure if she’s still with this group of musicians, who are all very good in their own right, but whether it’s to make more music or to do soundtrack work, I hope she will continue to dance with the passion that is within her. May this not be the last.