Billy Mohler

The Eternal

 Contagious Music

Los Angeles-based bassist Billy Mohler sets a new direction with The Eternal, forming a new quartet after delivering three albums (Focus, Anatomy,and Ultraviolet), the latter two covered herein, with Chris Speed, Shane Endsley, and Nate Wood. The new quartet has both established giants and an emerging voice. Guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise, ETAIVtet) and drummer Damion Reid are of the former while altoist Devin Daniels has already cut his teeth as a member of Herbie Hancock’s touring band. Mohler and Parker have collaborated often, each subbing into each other’s band on occasion. Mohler felt strongly about rounding out the unit with Los Angeles musicians. Who better than longtime friend Reid, who has been a stalwart in Robert Glasper’s band and in Steve Lehman’s trio. Though Daniels is a rising star, he and Reid had never played together until this session. The four are friends and share a love for skateboarding, clearly a West Coast thing.

Having guitar as the focal point of the unit is a new direction for Mohler as his previous quartet lacked a chordal instrument. So, Mohler found himself writing primarily for guitar but his familiarity with Parker, made that transition easier. There are deep emotional threads running through the music as Mohler was coping with recent deaths of his father and uncle. Mohler says, “Everything comes from a deep emotional well that’s always been there…It’s like following breadcrumbs until you arrive at a destination. Knowing where it begins and where it ends is a mystery. I don’t intellectualize writing, it’s all based on a feeling. It seems like songs are always right under the surface for me.”

 “Those Who Know,” with it rather lilting melody, was written for Reid. Daniels takes the lead on alto, unfurling terrific lyricism and inspired improvisation, buttressed by Parker’s guitar and the unshakable groove laid down by Mohler and Reid. “Reflection” takes a completely different tone, an elegiac ballad likely with Mohler’s dad and uncle in mind. “Eternal 1’ is the first of five increasingly longer solo bass interludes, shining the spotlight on Mohler’s robust technique and fervent approach. The epic “Hawk Wind” features the guitar drone intro, a throbbing bass line, and short melodic bursts, practically elongated jabs, from Daniels. It’s a mid-tempo modal jam that evolves into more extensive improvisations from both Daniels and Parker while Reid keeps the engine room overheated and engineer Dan Seef subtly injects delay effects. Led by Mohler’s earthy bass, “Adaptation” unwinds into a 3/4 spacey blues that unleashes Parker’s singular guitar lines, surfing over a turbulent undercurrent which leads to brief turn from Reid.

“Destroyer” is anything but angry as the quartet locks into a joyful, swinging groove with impressive front line work from Daniels and Parker. “Sooner” is for Mohler’s uncle, a member of the Chippewa tribe and a diehard Oklahoma Sooner fan. Parker and Daniels each deliver fiery statements before Mohler reins all back in to restate the uplifting theme. “No Age” moves to another plane, as Daniels sets a repetitive, hypnotic motif that he continues to expand on and embellish, displaying some of his finest moments on this recording. “Tsunami,” as you might guess, builds in intensity from its measured beginning to vibrant solos from Parker and searing lines from Daniels over an insistent, oft turbulent (it fits, right?) bottom. The last section is more tranquil, perhaps representing the aftermath, eventually just fading.

A gathering of these talents almost precludes success before even the first note is rendered. The album traverses several moods with several highly lyrical moments and others with enormously fat grooves. Each member has ample opportunity to state their individual case.  Daniels, who I’ve heard live but not on record, is especially impressive. Mohler, Parker, and Reid bring their “A” games. Mohler, who is plowing new ground with a chordal instrument, continues to prove his mettle as both a composer and bandleader.

– Jim Hynes

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