4–Sight, a quartet of (relatively) young lions who’ve made some modest waves in other groups, nimbly straddles a number of fences — mainstream and contemporary, funk and traditional, acoustic and electric — on its debut recording for N2K. While some may argue that the group has tailored its program to appeal to the commercial radio market, I don’t think that is the case; the music is far too cerebral to serve as such aural wallpaper. In other words, I think that 4–Sight believes in what it is doing. Whether one agrees with that point of view is another matter. Although I couldn’t pick 4–Sight out of a lineup if my life depended on it, I found much of its music worthwhile if not exceedingly inventive. Certainly these are four capable if at times overly enthusiastic musicians (the rhythm section sometimes tends to become too busy, as on the opening track, “Parabola,” and elsewhere). All selections were composed by members of the group with pianist Martin writing (and in two instances co–writing) five, bassist Whitaker contributing four and tenor/soprano Blake two. Again, they are efficient but unremarkable. At least two (Martin’s “In the Flow,” Martin/Hutchinson’s “En Jai Jai”) employ the sort of elemental rock–style rhythms I’ve never been able to warm to. There are five ballads (including three in a row), the most engaging of which is Blake’s “Beyond Yesterday’s Tomorrows.” My favorite tracks are the ones that scamper — Blake’s ”Re: Evaluation” (on which he plays tenor) and Whitaker’s “Love Endures” (with Blake’s soprano sounding at times like Branford Marsalis before the tune simply fades away). An ambitious venture, one that succeeds more often than it fails.
Track listing: Parabola; First Love, Only Love; Sweet; In the Flow; Re: Evalutation; Visions of the Past; Beyond Yesterday’s Tomorrows; Mastery Through Love; Love Endures; Marti; En Jai Jai (63:00).
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
