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Phil Lentz’s Phil Lentz Presents…Vol. II is what happens when a musician decides they don’t want to color inside the lines—or even stay on the same page. It’s an album that swings between a smoky jazz club at midnight and a coffeehouse protest circle at noon. In theory, this could be a disaster. In practice, it’s something closer to a charming identity crisis.
The 11-track lineup is what the polite call “genre-spanning.” Jazz, pop, folk, classical—it’s all here, blended into lush arrangements. While this sounds potentially chaotic, Lentz, a former journalist turned composer, has a knack for making the disparate pieces fit together. Or at least fit well enough that you don’t mind when they don’t.
The album opens with “Bebopping Along,” a title that tells you everything you need to know. It’s bright, bouncy, and unrelentingly cheerful. Imagine the house band at a very exclusive club playing just for you. The saxophone practically winks at the listener, daring you not to smile. It’s a strong start that immediately establishes Lentz’s affection for jazz as both tradition and playground.
But just when you’re settling into the swing of things, the album shifts gears. Enter “I Remember the Early Days” and “Play Your Melody,” introspective tracks that seem to wander in from a different album entirely. The former is wistful and lovely, a song that feels as if it just stepped out of a faded photograph. The latter pairs its melodic piano with vocals that are serious and heartfelt. Both are beautiful, though you might find yourself wondering where the smoky club vibes disappeared to.
The vocal tracks, in particular, are a departure. “One Little Drop of Justice” tackles weighty social themes with all the seriousness of a folk protest anthem. It’s a good song—great, even—but it interrupts the jazzy flow and makes you question whether you’ve stumbled onto a playlist someone accidentally shuffled.
“Honky-Tonk Blues” brings us back into playful barroom territory. Then there’s “Prairie March,” which takes yet another turn. With its folky charm and pastoral rhythm, it conjures images of wide-open landscapes and feels miles away from the urbanity of the album’s opening. It’s delightful, but also a little disorienting.
Just when you’ve given up trying to pin this album down, “Coda” arrives, wrapping everything up with a sigh and a shrug. It’s reflective and subdued, as if Lentz himself is saying, “Don’t overthink it.”
The album, recorded with an accomplished ensemble and mastered to pristine perfection, is undeniably polished. Yet it retains a sense of spontaneity—of someone experimenting, unafraid of whether it all fits neatly together.
Ultimately, Phil Lentz Presents…Vol. II feels like two albums in one. Jazz purists may grumble, but for the rest of us, it’s an eclectic ride worth taking. Consider it a musical tasting menu—just don’t expect everything to pair perfectly.
Jennifer Munoz
