ERIC SCOTT REED

OUT LATE

Smoke Sessions Records

Eric Scott Reed, piano/composer; Nicholas Payton, trumpet; Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone; Peter Washington, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums.

This quintet is a group of friends who share deep history with each other.  All of them have performed on worldwide stages together, at one time or another. However, there is something about the New York City nightlife that Reed and his cohorts have captured on this album. Also, these are some of the first musicians Reed met and interacted with early in his career. Peter Washington attended the same Westchester High School in Los Angeles that Eric Reed attended. On that first bandleader-gig that Reed landed at Bradley’s, in NYC, he hired Peter Washington.

“No shade to Paris or Vegas or Philly or Los Angeles but being in New York City is not like being anywhere else in the world. ‘Out Late’ references the life of musicians; the nightlife and the activity, the feeling and the energy of those NYC vibration. … Of course, it’s also a reference to finding myself much later in life, …finally being able to embrace myself, my whole totality, my whole personage, who I am, who I love, why I do what I do, and how it’s all intertwined,” Eric Reed quoted in his press package.

Eric Scott Reed is a quiet, brilliant talent who has composed every song on this album. They open with “Glow.”  Reed gives plenty of space and room for his quintet members to improvise and weave their way through the intricate chord changes this pianist has written, starting with his first tune.

On Track #2, called “All’umfrs,” the Straight-ahead arrangement immediately grabs my attention. Nicholas Payton makes a vivid trumpet statement, followed by the silky sound of Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone. When the spotlight swivels to Reed, he introduces us to the song in his own unique way. The piano notes tumble over each other, like children rolling down a grassy hillside and laughing. There is playfulness and joy wrapped inside this composition.

Washington explained this recording session and what it meant to him in this way. “Eric’s compositions were very intricate and well-planned out.  He gave them to us at a moment’s notice.  Some of the tunes were in unusual keys or had strange forms that were challenging, but he wanted us to be challenged.  I was really amazed at how good the takes sounded, because Nicholas and I were on pins and needles to play those ensembles and find our way through those chord mazes,” Peter Washington described his feelings in the studio with Eric Reed.

“Shadoboxing” quickly becomes one of my favorites on this album.  It has a melody that is rich and memorable.  After a couple of verses, I wanted to sing along with it. This sounds like a jazz standard. The inimitable Joe Farnsworth is a monster on the drums. He pushes this tune ahead like a snowplow.

“The entire vibration of this recording was exactly that: to just flow.  I came in with some sketches of ideas, and we just let the music do what it needed to do.  …When I call on musicians, I want them to bring everything they want to bring and make it truly a collaborative effort,” Eric explained.

Another favorite is “They.” It’s bebop-infused, a straight-ahead piece that has Washington pumping his bass in a serious walk down main-street-USA. He is the propeller on this flying, energetic tune. Locked in step with the Farnsworth drums, Eric Reed flies out front, dynamic on piano.

Every take on this album is a “First take.” None of it was rehearsed prior to the studio session. This album was recorded ‘old-school’ with everyone in one room, no headphones, no overdubbing. This is a vintage jazz approach, and these are musicians who are like the jazz cats I grew up around. They brought their raw energy, slick talents and innovative imaginative playing to every track. These talented men took no shortcuts. They didn’t try to gloss over anything to make it sound better or to perfect anything. Just like life, they brought their best and like Eric Reed said, “Just let it flow.”

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

BUY NOW