Review by John Luciano
I was asked to review Turbulence, I have to admit – I’d never heard of the group Airborne. In fact, this is the
fifth recording for this New Haven, CT based contemporary jazz group. It never ceases to amaze and at the same time perplex me –
the sheer number of talented, original, yet unknown "local" jazz artists that are paying their dues, playing their local clubs,
but who are not well known outside of their regional areas. Airborne is the type of group and Turbulence is the type of
recording that represents what I love about contemporary jazz – it’s like unwrapping an unexpected gift and discovering, for the first time,
something you like but didn’t know existed.
Airborne is comprised of seven members, including a vocalist. The main leads are guitar, sax, flute and voice. The songs are breezy, Latin-tinged contemporary jazz, leaning more towards smooth than fusion. There’s ample background and group vocals, reminding me of groups such as the Repercussions and other so called, but miscategorized acid jazz groups of the late nineties. There’s even a little ethnic Native American Indian thrown in. This is good stuff - check it out.
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