The pandemic didn’t slow down Slide Attack, a quintet with trombonists Alan Goidel and Howard Levy, Hiroshi Yamazaki (piano), Michael Goetz (bass) and Chuck Zeuren (drums). During 2020, they masked up and socially distanced during rehearsals and recording sessions. Slide Attack blends elements of vintage and modern jazz as they play fast and fluidly through nine original compositions. Opening with Yamazaki’s “Spring Roll,” the band makes an emphatic statement with propulsive solos. In Goidel’s swinging “Road Trip,” the journey is happy, joyous and carefree as Levy incorporates some rapid-paced growls and slurs to approximate scat-like vocal effects.  His inspiration for the up-tempo, bebopping “Owens” came from Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” and allows both trombonists to get imaginative just as they also do on “Bluedemic,” a composition that channels Charlie Parker.   

Levy’s “Clauditti” has a Brazilian samba groove, while the funky forward momentum of “Struttin’” is driven by Zeuren’s percussion. The two trombonists are creative, and their artistic expression really shines on the slower, lyrical pieces like “Look Within,” “A Walk in the Park” and “Early Morning.” Goidel and Levy are straight-forward, unpretentious players who emphasize sensibility over flamboyance. Together, the two-trombone quintet features pliable musicians who work well together. They also show how that instrument can be centerstage and plugged into more than just nostalgic traditional arrangements. The music reminds me of some of the material that trombonist Kai Winding produced with other masters of the instrument, J. J. Johnson and Curtis Fuller. Now, I’m wondering if Slide Attack’s next Road Trip might even bring along a third or fourth trombonist for even more adventure and excitement.   (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)