At first, Unfiltered seems like another nostalgic throwback to jazz of the ‘50s and ‘60s, an imitation of the greats at their greatest. Soon, however, it becomes clear that Sorey and his sextet aren’t imitating the greats, but instead are channeling their energy.
Imitation is easy: you practice, you learn a style, you steal it. Channeling energy, however, is much harder: you practice, you learn what made someone great, then you reinvent it in your own way.
Sorey and his band have reinvented the imagination and excitement of Coltrane and Mingus and Monk and Coleman and countless others. If you love the imagination and excitement of those artists, give Unfiltered a chance.