Label: Smoke Sessions Records, 2021
Personnel - Orrin Evans: piano; Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone; Vicente Archer: double bass; Bill Stewart: drums.
On his sixth outing for the Smoke Sessions label, the American pianist Orrin Evans, who has recently ended a three-year stint with The Bad Plus, spearheads a pliable quartet that includes the excellent 23-year-old saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, the alert bassist Vicente Archer and the sensitive drummer Bill Stewart.
The program consists mostly of originals, with Evans and Wilkins contributing three compositions each, while Stewart allows his discreet “Mynah”, which originally appeared on his 1997 Blue Note album Telepathy, to be paired with Mulgrew Miller’s dynamic “The Eleventh Hour” for the record’s inaugural number. Its gripping post-bop eloquence stimulates the ear, and the ensemble welcomes Wilkins’ imaginative phrasing, twice. He seems to appreciate the sparse piano accompaniment while discoursing over drums. A swinging motion imposes, after which the saxophonist takes a firm stand on rhythmic figures that first repeat and then reshape according to his own whim. Next in line is Evans, whose inventive statement is professed on top of a bass pedal and scintillating cymbal work.
Two of the three tunes penned by the pianist had been previously recorded, appearing here with fresh outfits. Punctuated with an optimistic gospel tinge, “Libra” was tackled in the past by two groups Evans was involved with - Seed in 2001 and Luvpark in 2005. “MAT-Matt” is a straight-ahead effort from 2000, meticulously designed with well-measured breaks in the flux for accentuation. His other piece, “Dave”, is a delicate ballad propelled by Stewart’s formidable brushwork. It lives from the immense beauty of the melody.
Wilkins unrecorded pieces are strong and intense, with “Momma Loves” and “Levels” as highlights. The former flows with a searching quality that draws from jazz tradition, swinging over the course of a sophisticated chord progression that supports the altoist’s extensive vocabulary; the latter tune explores a captivating neo-bop where the saxophonist and the pianist are close communicators. Later on, we have drums and piano engaging in a playful rhythmic activity. On the other hand, “The Poor Fisherman” is a ballad limned with diaphanous textures and classical movements.
The Magic of Now stresses the cohesion of this brand new quartet. All four players have strong personalities on their instruments and that aspect transpires here with encouraging results.
B+
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Mynah/The Eleventh Hour ► 02 - Libra ► 06 - Momma Loves