Here’s a pianist that has a touch on the ivories I could listen to for weeks. Randy Ingram leads a quartet with Mike Moreno/g, Matt Clohesy/b and Jochen Rueckert/dr for eight originals that have a sound all their own. I’m sure there are influences of icons gone by, but his thoughtful touch mixes melody and gentle passion in a way I haven’t heard in years. Except for the quirky and kinetic “St. Louis,” all of the pieces have a gentle tidal flow to them. “Silent Cinema” and “The Sea” feature Ingram delivering elegiac intros that almost wish that the accompaniment would never arrive, but when it does you’re in for an even better ride. The gentle empathy on these pieces and “Sky/Lift” have a genteel ambulation that lets each artist create a symbiotic texture, yet each artist gets his own chance to shine as well. Moreno’s lithe guitar bends and gently twists on “99” and the aforementioned “St. Louis,” while otherwise providing accompaniment to Ingram on the statements of the themes. Clohesy and Rueckert work like a hockey front line passing the puck before the final slap shot. This is a band that needs to get to the Best Coast. Encore!
Sunnyside Records
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