English born, Jamaican of descent and living in the USA – Wayne Escoffery is joined by a strong trio consisting of David Kikoski (piano), Ugonna Okegwo (bass), Ralph Peterson Jr. (drums) to deliver a superb set of hard post-bop and delicate ballads drawing influence from masters like Coltrane and Rollins among others. The fiery ‘Vortex’ explodes into life with Escoffrey’s sax and soon the whole band are vying for positions on this rapid fire hard bop number. ‘Judgement’ is more rolling and free while the mellower ‘Febraury’ had a slight Latin percussion running under its drifting tones. ‘Baku’ has an urgent bassline snaking in between the battle between the keys and the horn while the free, expressionistic ‘The Devil’s Den’ captures a mood of claustrophobia perfectly. Superb post-bop set that straddles the past and the present so well. Also check the more melodic ‘Tears For Carolyn’, another strong moment and a standout track.
Track listings:
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01 I Love You A Bushel And A Peck by Maceo Parker
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02 Vortex by Wayne Escoffery
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03 Judgement by Wayne Escoffery
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04 Acceptance by Wayne Escoffery
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05 February by Wayne Escoffery
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06 The Devil’s Den by Wayne Escoffery
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07 Tears for Carolyn by Wayne Escoffery
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08 To the Ends of the Earth by Wayne Escoffery
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09 Baku by Wayne Escoffery
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