Drummer Kendrick Scott delivers the goods here with his simpatico team of Taylor Eigsti/key, Michael Moreno/g, John Ellis/sax-bcl and Joe Sanders/b through an exciting ride of teamed effort compositions.
As he states in his liner notes, Scott dedicates this music to “the drum inside of you,” meaning that each of us has a pulse, in which this album taps in to. Scott drives the band through the exciting crashing waves as the theme weaves back and forth like the tide on the title track.” Eigsti and Sanders create a soft rice pilaf for Ellis’ soprano on “Make Believe” while his bass clarinet scurries about over the agitated undertow provided by Scott and Eigsti on “Never Catch Me.” Scott rides the cymbal with assertion on “Syncronicity” and snaps everyone to attention on the aprt dream, part march of “The Long Shadow.” Scott gives his wrists a workout as he canters under Moreno’s guitar on “Mantra” yet shows his soulful heart when vocalist Lizz Wright brings her reach and earthy voice for a glorious “This Song in Me.”
Scott’s on to something here, and he’s delivering one of the freshest sounds around.
Blue Note Records