About

Between 2016 and 2023, guitarist Jeff Parker and his quartet held down a weekly residency at the tiny Los Angeles bar Enfield Tennis Academy. They worked across standards, jazz-funk covers, and group improvisation. Over time, the quartet — Parker, guitars; Anna Butterss, bass; Josh Johnson, saxophone; Jay Bellerose, drums and percussion -- eventually abandoned that m.o. in favor of gradually unfolding improvisation that pursued communication and mystery. In 2022, they released Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy. It showcased long, melodic grooves drawn from more than ten hours of live tape recorded by Bryce Gonzalez. He and Parker utilized the same methodology for The Way Out of Easy. Performed on January 2, 2023, Gonzalez used only four mic-level controls, delivering an organic, of-the-moment feel.

The 23-minute "Freakadelic" is a radical, extended reimagining of the tune that originally appeared on Parker's Bright Light in Winter for Delmark in 2012. Bellerose and Butterss lay down a midtempo head-nodding hip-hop groove. Parker and Johnson enter playing twinned lines with harmonic variation. The saxophonist solos first, pursuing the blues and post-bop swing for four glorious minutes when Parker claims the fore. In early December of 2023, ETA co-owner Ryan Julio was forced to make a sudden announcement that the venue would permanently shutter at the end of the year. On December 23rd, Parker and the band played at ETA for the last time. The Way Out of Easy equals its predecessor, but it also extends the quartet's musical vocabulary and sonic identity. While they may not be able to play ETA any longer, their musical signature and group communication prove they can make magic anywhere. — via AllMusic

↓
Label: International Anthem Recording Company
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album
Released: 2024
Genre: Jazz
Style: Contemporary Jazz

File under: International Anthem Recording Company
⦿