Credits:

Wayne Escoffery

Description:

Saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, born in London in 1975, grew up in Connecticut and studied with Jackie McLean before joining the Thelonious Monk Institute. He was born in London in 1975 and grew up in Connecticut, where he studied with Jackie McLean. He has also worked with the Mingus Big Band and the Ron Carter Big Band, and has released "The only Son of One" and "Live at Firehouse 12" on the Sunnyside label. Live at Firehouse 12. He followed that with "Vortex," an album of one-horn quartets that returned to his roots in acoustic music. This album is their first release as a leader on Smoke Sessions Records.The main focus is on the performance of the tight-knit quartet of David Kikoski (p), Ugonna Okeguo (b), and Ralph Peterson (ds), who have collaborated together many times on albums with Sunnyside. Guests include Randy Brecker (tp) and others on this powerful work. The album features 11 songs, mostly Wayne Escoffery originals, with Randy Brecker on 4 songs and guitarist David Gilmour on 3 songs. Each song is a fresh and impactful parade of songs reminiscent of hard bop and new mainstream music. The heavy acoustic sound is particularly impressive. The passionate performance by the pianist Kikoski, as well as the leader Escoffery, is also noteworthy. The recording is in excellent condition, and Escoffery's raw saxophone sound and Ralph Peterson's crisp stick work are captured beautifully.

Tracklisting:

1.Chain Gang
2.Kyrie
3.Sanctus
4.Benedictus
5.Sanctus (Recapitulation)
6.The Humble Warrior
7.Quarter Moon
8.Undefined
9.AKA Reggie
10.Back to Square One