SITE TOOLS
|
|
|
Eric
Person and Meta-Four
Extra Pressure
By Steven Fullwood
Contemporary
jazz is best served up with a healthy slice of tradition. Eric Person
and his supreme quartet, Meta-Four, knows this and has conjured up a
jazz album welcome as a summer breeze on a hot summer night. Person is
a kick-ass saxophonist with finesse, one that can handle
straight-ahead mid-tempo joints as well as softer, more malleable
ballads. Rounding out the rest of the foursome is John Esposito
(piano), Carlos Henderson (bass) and E. J. Strickland (drums). Extra
Pressure is the name of their first album as a unit, and it's rather
amazing considering how tight they sound.
|
|
|
|
|
The band gets things started right away
with the piano-anchored "The Pull." Henderson is a generous
player who allows each musician to show off his distinctive prowess.
Like the best bebop, you can feel the song dip and dive into crevices
and turn corners with ease. Henderson's stunning bass intro to
"This Devotion" is also excellent, cleverly offset by
Esposito's limber piano playing. Person
jerks the tune back and forth, playing in between the steady beat
(thanks to Strickland), and eventually works the song out alongside
Henderson's insistent bass. "Perfection," another gem,
showcases the band's fluidity and charm. The cascading piano riffs in
"Perfection" are so lovely that they make you want to cry.
|
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT
Support MOSAEC, Visit Our Sponsors
|
|
Extra Pressure is a solid offering from a quartet that deserves an
audience. There's not a tune on the album that doesn't fail to delight.
But don't take it from me. Check it out for yourself. M
December 2001
|
|
|
|
|
RLP Ventures, LLC and/or its
suppliers. All rights reserved.