Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Eric Revis: Eric Revis' Parallax

Eric Revis: Eric Revis' Parallax

By Glenn Astarita
February 12, 2013
View read count

Track review of "Split"

Bassist Eric Revis is notoriously comfortable within many jazz contexts and vernaculars. As a leader and session man, he's been in the thick of things, toggling between modern mainstream, trad-jazz, Acid Jazz and other crosscutting musical endeavors. Here, he revisits the freer spectrum, supported by an all-star lineup. And while there's certainly no shortage of group-centric expressionism, the bassist doesn't keep the band in a particular mode or style. Revis' menu generates an oscillating aural experience, where each piece stands on its own.

"Split" is built on succinct contrasts, executed by Revis and pianist Jason Moran's lower register ostinato groove, followed by saxophonist Ken Vandermark's popping notes, spiced with fractured swing inferences. At the onset, the quartet establishes a baseline built on a stirring rhythmic motif, accelerated by drummer Nasheet Waits' blustery rolls and blitzing shuffle beats. The panorama opens up as Vandermark darts, dashes, and bangs out a few bluesy inflections via a torrid solo spot. The intensity level soars as Waits' kicks the overall metric into hyper-mode, leading the musicians back to the primary theme for the closeout. Indeed, Revis and associates stir the kettle many times over and convey an interchanging rhythmic mien throughout the program.

Track Listing

Personnel

Eric Revis

bass

Eric Revis: double bass; Nasheet Waits: drums; Jason Moran: piano; Ken Vandermark: tenor saxophone and clarinet.

Album information

Title: Eric Revis' Parallax | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Grace Kelly: Live at Scullers
< Previous

Familiar Fields
Next >

Eric Revis Concerts

Nov 14 Fri

Branford Marsalis Quartet

The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College
Purchase, NY

Feb 20 Fri

Branford Marsalis Quartet

Tribby Arts Center
Ft. Myers, FL

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.