Touring around in support of his latest release One Is The Other, veteran drummer Billy Hart filled the hip Blue Whale with his team of Ethan Iverson/p, Ben Street/b and Mark Turner/ts delivered material that mixed intriguing rhythms, melodies and explorative solos.
The band opened with “South Hampton,” a song from their upcoming album that featured Iverson’s patented bluesy and plunky piano, slowly building up fire with Turner’s icy cool horn and Street’s striding bass. Hart’s melodic work with the sticks lead into a free for all on “Amethyst,” with Iverson’s percussive, dark and dissonant piano arm wrestling with Turner’s long and altissimo notes mixed with intricate explorations. The thoughtful and gentle “Lennie Groove” featured a slithering melody delivered by sax and piano with sonic pirouettes and dancing themes. Hart’s thundering drum sounded like a clarion call on the intro to the closing “Neon,” going from rumbling and aggressive to subtly delicate while the Turner’s auburn toned tenor produced a regal and majestic theme and Iverson’s solo during the trio format developed into a mix of bluesy classicism. A mix of frenetic energy and thoughtful atmospheres was carefully guided by Hart on the thoughtful and visceral set. He left you wanting to check out theupcoming release as well as return to the latest one.
Upcoming shows at The Blue Whale include Vardan Ovsepian’s trio 07/02 and Tootie Heath’s trio with Ethan Iverson 07/11