For years a sideman or teammate with the likes of Gerald Clayton, Taylor Eigsti and Kenny Barron, saxist Dayna Stephens has quietly released a handful of albums under his own leadership. This one, a double disc-er with Aaron Parks/p, Ben Street/b and Greg Hutchinson/dr caught at the Village Vanguard, may finally bring him the accolades he deserves. Stephens is one of the few horn men of his generation that venerates warm tones, lyricism and letting the horn breath the way it was created.
He also does a couple tracks with the synthy EWI instrument, creating a quirky Weather Reportish splashy “Blakonian Groove” as well as a mellow ballad “Radio-Active Earworm” with flexible support by Hutchinson. His tenor sax is molten gold floating in after a sublime Parks intro for “Ran” as well as on the mellow soul of “Planting Flowers”. He gets boppy on the alto for the rhythm team’s ricochets on “The Beginning Of AN Endless Happy Holiday” with a folksy soprano taking Street’s baton o n”Tarifa”. All throughout, Stephens seems calm, joyful and filled with well-conceived ideas delivered like a master. Catch him when he comes to town.