Cole Pulice - Land’s End Eternal (Leaving Records)

*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's May 18th Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***

Hopefully you noticed that Cole Pulice dropped a new album this week, but if not then let me introduce you. Pulice is an electroacoustic sax player, composer and currently earthbound astral voyager - seeming against their will, in Oakland, California. Their collaboration with Lynn Avery was one of TSMM’s 2024’s highlights.

Space is a big place though, so Pulice is off again, this time launching from one of LA’s alternative ashrams, Leaving Records, and the album opener is their most determined effort to reach escape velocity, the searching horn riding the gradually intensifying drones that suddenly blast off half way through. This might come as something of a shock to those more accustomed to Pulice’s usual efforts to sooth and spiritualise the listener, but those wishing a more sedate ride shouldn’t be deterred, the rocket soon runs out of fuel and drifts gently back to earth.

Those wishing a calmer listen could always skip the first track and head straight to the first movement of the “In a Hidden Nook Between Worlds” triptych, which starts with Pulice introducing his new found guitar chops with some thoughtful picking that sets a warm tone before introducing some cosmically inclined ambient synths and sax to make smooth jazz cool again; if a touch otherworldly.

Fifteen minutes and two similarly minded passages later, some discordant piano misuse raises its odd looking head but is soon placated and persuaded to eventually retreat by Pulice’s spiritual and calming sax lines. Hold tight though Pulice had been saving his energy for “After The Rain“, an epic spiritual odyssey which goes full on Pharaoh for nine minutes, aided and abetted by the unannounced choral, almost spectral voice of Maria BC.

It’s another Pulice winner.

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Playlist Companion

Find Pulice chilling out the Slow Jazz Playlist: