Drummer Kendrick Scott’s latest Oracle album A Wall Becomes A Bridge was presented in a passionate fashion, with the four songs in the first hour-long set at Blue Whale stretched out from concise 5-7 minute themes into rich opuses. Mike Moreno/g, Tayle Eigsti/p, Joe Sanders/b and John Ellis-ts-ss took the songs they recorded with Scott and turned them into rich excursions while still keeping the initial focus and theme of each song.
As with the album, the evening opened with a tape of voices and effects, leading into Ellis’ serpentine soprano sax on “New Eyes” that lead to Scott creating a galloping cadence that featured Eigsti’s rich mix of piano and keyboards, richly gurgling up like volcanic molten lava. On “The Catalyst,” Scott’s sticks created a repetitive cantor that segued from the taped message into a hip hoppish beat, with his crisp sticks setting a snappy pace for Moreno’s strident guitar work that heated up like butane burners.
Sanders’ bass gave a strong and yet reflectively melodic into to the somber “Voices,” with Scott using moody mallets and Eigsti’s spacious ivories creating a contemplative mood as Ellis’ tenor sax yearned and pleading, holding back in time as the rhythm team slowly increased the percolation to create a rich taffy pull tension between drive and theme, as Moreno took the final ride of the tidal wave to its climactic completion.
The closing “Don Blue” was dedicated to famed bassist/producer Don Was, who was in attendance to appreciate Eigsti’s warm Bill Evans-esque intro, teaming with Scott’s deft brushes slapping the high hat, and gradually leading the ensemble into a multi-themed excursion of multiple vistas and panoramas, Sanders mixed picking and bowing along with vocal harmonies (along with Scott) to conclude the set with a rich tapestry of hues and colors.
Scott stated at the outset of the evening that his purpose was to make an album to celebrate the process of “taking challenges to make opportunities.” Scott and company succeeded, making the evening’s challenging music an opportunity to appreciate the mix of gifted artistry and compassion.
Upcoming shows at Blue Whale include Billy Childs 05/10-11, Kathleen Grace 05/23, Danny Janklow 05/24 and Joe LaBarbera 05/25