Label: Contagious Music
Personnel - Dayna Stephens: tenor saxophone; Aaron Parks: piano; Ben Street: bass; Greg Hutchinson: drums.
Dayna Stephens has established himself as a prominent saxophonist and sought-after sideman. His new quartet album, Hopium—a portmanteau of the words ‘hope’ and ‘opium’—features the same ensemble that brought Right Now! Live at the Village Vanguard (2020) to success. The album comprises seven original compositions by Stephens and one by Parks.
Opening the set, “Drive North to Find the Oranges Out West” unfolds elegantly, employing melodic ambiguity and harmonic complexity to explore the uncertainties and possibilities of life's winding paths. The following track, “Jump Start”, pays homage to Herbie Hancock’s “A Jump Ahead” and stands as a spirited, successful experiment. Ben Street's pulsating bass—renewed with woody resonance every 32 bars—anchors the piece, complemented by Greg Hutchinson’s simmering drum patterns and Parks’ colorful piano voicings. Stephens delivers a free-flowing, serpentine saxophone performance that defies conventional standards. The quartet grooves with post-bop vitality, closing on a slightly sinister note.
“Trust” reveals a softer side with thoughtful, balladic statements, while the title track, “Hopium”, exudes a tango-like expressiveness, navigating the space between optimism and denial. Its rhythmic and melodic captivation culminates in an unresolved chord, symbolizing lingering doubt and cynicism. This leads seamlessly into “Occasionally Cynical”, a fluid and exploratory piece filled with ternary rhythmic fluxes and rubato passages. Stephens masterfully guides the haunting theme, spinning out coolly lyrical reflections imbued with modernity.
Before the closing track, “As Truth Rises Above Power”, which features the dynamic guitar work of guest Charles Altura, there’s Parks’ “Hard-Boiled Wonderland”, leaning into the sounds of Sam Rivers’ “Cyclic Episode” and Chick Corea’s “Humpty Dumpty”, and drawing inspiration from Haruki Murakami’s concept of alternate realities. Though the piece maintains an intentionally gentle lyrical pulse, tension subtly simmers beneath the surface.
Hopium is a different album that makes sense within Stephens’ oeuvre. Yet, it is not an immediate album. Some listeners may be disappointed by the departure from common jazz threads, while others will be captivated by the unusual colorings offered by these four resourceful musicians.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Jump Street ► 05 - Occasionally Cynical ► 06 - Hard-Boiled Wonderland