| Jazz |
Infinite joy in receiving such impressive albums in different styles, yet where the quality of the musical writing and the arrangements are the key to the success of this type of work. Although a saxophonist, Michael Eaton has an orchestral view of his creations; here, the septet format is perfectly chosen to bring his works to life in sound, aided by impressive musicians: Michael Eaton – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, Brad Whiteley – piano, synthesizer, Daniel Ori – bass, Shareef Taher – drums, Tim Hagans – trumpet, Dave Scott – trumpet, Judi Silvano – voice. *The Phenomenal* is inspired by minimalism, 20th-century classical music, and electronic sounds. Here, ‘phenomenal’ refers to the opportunities and vicissitudes of navigating the material world; what appears to our senses and where our lived experience unfolds. Recorded after eight years and three tours tracing the history of *Individuation* as an ensemble, *The Phenomenal* features Brad Whiteley (piano), Daniel Ori (bass), and Shareef Taher (drums). Following the Covid pandemic, Eaton felt the urgency to reunite three musicians with whom he had worked before and during the lockdown: Tim Hagans (trumpet), Dave Scott (trumpet), and Judi Silvano (voice). When a live recording proved impractical, a plan crystallized to document the group’s latest music during two studio sessions at the end of 2021.
This is undoubtedly the reason for the very smooth aspect of the compositions, though complex; the management of the prominent brass section is done smoothly and in connection with the theme of each piece. Everything is intelligently thought out, structured, and finely crafted. We follow the instrumental solos like characters guiding us, and this music is nevertheless understandable to any audience. On the track *Parallax*, Michael uses a sort of almost-Italian refrain in the introduction, which continues in the form of repetitive music, endlessly varied. It’s likely the track on which one can truly appreciate the excellence of Shareef Taref, gifted, inventive, working his drums like a percussionist—a real delight! *Blues and the Phenomenal Truth* sees the septet converge on a blues, giving each a chance to improvise on common ground. After an open theme and interval that evolves into an irregular meter contrapuntal vamp, the musicians take turns on the cyclical variations of the piece. ‘The title gives a nod to Oliver Nelson’s *Blues and the Abstract Truth*. I never really knew what it meant, but it didn’t matter; it was fun above all, but it was also a poetic device to evoke imagination and contemplation. I had considered *Blues and the Nominal Truth*, but in the end, *Blues and the Phenomenal Truth* had an intuitive resonance.’ Then Michael Eaton continues, ‘We live in a postmodern and connected world, where a huge amount of information is available at any time. I certainly love the whole history of music, but I never wanted to be strictly tied to it. History—in fact, the histories, plural—of jazz are our tools and raw materials. I want to use tradition; I don’t want it to use me. My individuation will be the result of numerous musical attempts. Without a doubt, making integrated and unified statements is a high-level artistic goal that will never go out of style. I like having multiple worlds on the same recording, and I dare say it somewhat reflects the world as it is today. For jazz to remain a living and evolving music, we must, to some extent, remain open to the world and to change.’ And it is true that this album perfectly reflects the current world with its contradictions and hopes, an album that we gladly add to our ‘Essentials’.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, August 26th 2024
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