Chad Taylor Quintet at Solar Myth

Chad Taylor Quintet
Ars Nova Workshop
Solar Myth Club
Philadelphia, PA
July 17, 2024

Chad Taylor is a "first call" drummer who is also a composer, band leader, jazz historian and scholar who was recently appointed to lead the University of Pittsburgh Jazz Studies Program. He came up in Chicago as a founding member of Jazz Underground, and worked in the Chicago jazz scene with the likes of trumpeter Rob Mazurek and saxophonist Fred Anderson. In the New Millennium, he has been active and in demand for gigs in New York, Philadelphia, and many other locales and has formed his own groups. He has created several fine recordings as a leader, most recently, The Chad Taylor Trio, The Daily Biological (Cuneiform, 2020) and The Chad Taylor Trio, The Reel (Astral Spirits, 2022.)

In this concert for the Ars Nova Workshop at the Solar Myth Club in South Philadelphia, he led his current quintet consisting of himself, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Bryan Rogers on tenor saxophone, Victor Vieira-Branco on vibraphone, and Matt Engle on bass. Each created at least one composition for the gig, and under Taylor's leadership and precise rhythmic pulse, they formed a "chamber ensemble" where every phrase and motif fit into the overall structure. In that way, they followed the legacy of the Modern Jazz Quartet with the latter's formality of exposition. The connection to the MJQ could be also be felt in the way that vibraphonist Veira-Branco echoed Milt Jackson stylistically, such as holding back on the beat for emphasis.

The group started out with saxophonist Rogers' "Broken Horse" in which Veira-Branco created interest by using a violin bow on the edges of the metal bars, creating an eerie feeling of ghostly notes in space. This idea became the basis of the whole piece, as we heard when trumpet, and then saxophone, followed suit by playing a series of long tones. The title of the "Broken Horse" suggests how the tones never quite settled into a phrase or a key, but went on until they sort of ran out of steam.

With bassist Engel's "Avian Shadow," another pattern with historical implications began to manifest itself. The music revealed itself to be fairly consistently in the "modal" form, minimizing harmony and developing along the lines of scalar modes and chromatics. This of course immediately called to mind Miles Davis' groundbreaking Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959). The modal structure that developed as the show proceeded was not like Davis,' however, but resembled a cross between the pentatonics of musical impressionism (e.g. Debussy) and the more experimental forays of Bartok.

Then with Chad Taylor's own "Waltz for Meghan," there was more venturing out into spontaneity and power. The waltz time began without syncopation but subsequently released into a light swing. The improvisational creativity of the musicians was revealed in strong, powerful ways in the solos. Engel's bass solo was especially beautiful and sophisticated, revealing him to be in the upper echelon of contemporary bassists. Taylor, mostly modest and using his drumming to move the music along, took a drum solo to die for at the end, showing him to be in the line of Max Roach, with the latter's emphasis on tightness, discipline, and the sonorities of the drum set.

Next, Viera-Blanco really took charge of the situation, using his own originals, "Paradise Lawns" and "October 26th" in sequence as an opportunity for really dramatic 4-stick vibes work that grabbed the attention of the audience. Taylor's "Smoke Shifter" was executed with a walking rhythm with a blues sensibility. Finlayson's trumpet solo was reminiscent of early Miles without the mute, and towards the end, the impressionistic modalities became more emphasized, especially by the saxophonist Finlayson.

Finally, Taylor introduced all the musicians, and the group concluded with Veira-Branco's "October 29th," bringing an energetic close to the show and standup rounds of applause from the audience of musically sophisticated young people and middle-age aficionados.

Set List

Broken Horse (Rogers); Avian Shadow (Engle); Waltz for Meghan (Taylor); Two Tunes: Paradise Lawns, October 26th (Vieira-Branco); Smoke Shifter (Taylor); October 29th (Vieira-Branco)
Note: All songs are originals composed by quintet members—last name in parentheses.

Personnel

Chad Taylor: leader; drums; Jonathan Finlayson: trumpet; Bryan Rogers: tenor saxophone; Victor Vieira-Branco: vibraphone; Matt Engle bass.