Correlations,
due out March 8 via Smoke Sessions Records, introduces the new band with a set
of inspired new tunes and classic compositions from jazz masters who’ve pointed
the way for Davis and his cohort to follow, galvanized by tradition but boldly
pushing forward. That adventurousness is just one of the connections that binds
these six artists together, one of many correlations that give the album and
the sextet their name.
Such
commonalities proved important, as the sextet as a whole had never worked
together prior to the weekend at Smoke that preceded the recording. There was
plenty of shared history between the individual members, however: Davis,
trumpet and flugelhorn player Joshua Bruneau, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery,
pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Jonathan Barber.
One of the
primary correlations that binds these stellar musicians together is the
mentorship of the legendary saxophonist and educator Jackie McLean, via the
jazz studies program he founded at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of
Music. Davis, Douglas, and Escoffery all studied directly under McLean; Bruneau
and Barber both entered the program later, with all four benefiting from the
tutelage of Davis, who joined the faculty in 1991.
“Jackie
instilled in us all the value of playing with fire and conviction,” Davis says.
“He stressed the importance of keeping one foot in the past and one foot in the
future, balancing the tradition and history with looking to do something that
sounds fresh and special. All the guys in the band certainly embody those
principles when they play.”
Xavier Davis
(no relation) is the odd man out when it comes to educational background, but
he still shares strong bonds with several members of the band, not least its
leader. The two have worked together extensively in David Weiss’ New Jazz
Composers Octet as well as the Christian McBride Big Band, while the pianist
has played alongside Escoffery in trumpeter Tom Harrell’s band for many years
and with both Escoffery and Douglas as part of the collective Black Art Jazz
Collective.
“There are
all kinds of musical relationships over many years between all of us,” says
Davis. “So, while this actual band had never played together, I knew because of
all the common roots that the chemistry was going to be great. And we really
hit the ground running.”
They were
given more than a little extra propulsion thanks to Davis’ exhilarating new
compositions for the group. Having penned countless tunes and arrangements for
McLean’s revered sextet as well as One For All and his own ensembles, Davis
eloquently speaks the language of the three-horn frontline, and was newly
inspired by the incredible one he’d assembled for this date.
“I’ve always
tried to approach any band I’ve had over the years as our band,” the trombonist
stresses. “Anything I write leaves plenty of room for everyone involved to help
shape it. The three horns share a very natural camaraderie and simpatico, and
the rhythm section is just magic. My job is just to provide the format, focus
it with repertoire, and get out of the way and let it happen.”
The album
begins in spirited fashion with “Embarcadero,” named for the roadway that
curves along the San Francisco waterfront. The tune’s carefree swing captures
the feeling of driving a scenic route with the top down, as Davis had the
opportunity to do while teaching for the first time at the Stanford Jazz
Workshop in 2001 – an especially welcome change of pace for someone used to the
hectic, claustrophobic environment of the metropolitan east coast.
The
aptly-named “Subtlety” derives its pastel beauty from the rich harmonies of the
piece, which coaxes moving, nimble solos from all three horn players.
Percussion great Cyro Baptista brings his inimitable touch and vigorous
rhythmic complexity to “Bautista’s Revenge” – the parallel in names being
entirely coincidental. The title actually stems from Davis’ passion for
baseball: Tony Bautista was an infielder for the Baltimore Orioles; during one
game Davis witnessed a belligerent Sox fan taunting Bautista mercilessly, until
he knocked out a grand slam home run and mocked his tormentor back with a
“boo-hoo” gesture.
The tender
“Song For My Love” is a romantic dedication to the leader’s wife, Abena
Koomson-Davis, that coasts on the preternatural groove of Xavier Davis, Douglas
and Barber. The family feeling continues with the sprightly “Newbie,” titled by
Davis’ teenage daughter Angie as dad worked it out on the piano. The
celebratory “Can't Complain” is a reflection on Davis’ life, a casual
acceptance of a contented existence that includes a loving family, unparalleled
collaborators, and a remarkable career spanning more than three decades. The
final original, “Blues for Owen,” tips the hat to the late Owen McNally, a
longtime journalist and jazz booster for the Hartford Courant.
Davis
gorgeously voices the familiar melody of Horace Silver’s beloved “Peace,” a
timeless composition with an all-too timely message for this divisive era.
Xavier Davis’ thundering keys lead into George Cables’ surging “Think on Me,”
while the pianist’s stark, delicate side emerges on Thad Jones’ crystalline “A
Child Is Born,” which also features Barber’s lush brushwork and a lyrical,
eloquent turn from Douglas. McCoy Tyner’s bold, stirring “Inner Glimpse” brings
the album to a close with a show of the ensemble’s full force.
Whether you
consider Correlations in terms of key mentors, mutual inspirations, shared
experiences or sympathetic outlooks, what’s most important is not the source of
these connections but the bonds they’ve forged. With this superb new sextet,
Steve Davis has assembled a band whose ties can bind in endlessly creative and
vibrant new music.
"Correlations"
was produced by Paul Stache and Damon Smith and
recorded
live in New York at Sear Sound's Studio C on a Sear-Avalon custom console
at
96KHz/24bit and mixed to ½" analog tape using a Studer mastering deck.
Available in
audiophile HD format.
Steve Davis
· Correlations
Smoke
Sessions Records · Release Date: March 8, 2019
