Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Victor Gould: In Our Time

1

Victor Gould: In Our Time

By

Sign in to view read count
Victor Gould: In Our Time
Over the course of his first endearing works, 2016's stunning, NPR Debut Of The Year Clockwork (New Fresh Sounds), Earthlings (Criss Cross, 2018) and the lush Thoughts Become Things (Criss Cross, 2019), pianist/composer Victor Gould has exhibited a relaxed romanticism, an unerring lilt to his music. A warm empathy that draws you into the joyful, reflective and quiet moments abounding on In Our Time.

As the sum and advocate of his influences, young Gould not only has a Masters in Music from Loyola University's Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, he was one of the first recipients of Berklee's Herbie Hancock Presidential Scholarship. He has played alongside Jazzmeia Horn, Esperanza Spalding, Wallace Roney and Terence Blanchard, and won an ASCAP Young Composers Award.

Having worked with larger musical palettes on previous releases, In Our Time focuses primarily on the resourcefulness of Gould's vibrant trio with bassist Tamir Shmerling and drummer Anwar Marshall, and dances its way into consciousness with "Blue Lotus." A jazz dance if ever there was, the tune is a graceful, artful confluence of rapport and enthusiasm.

Mentored by the late Ralph Peterson and Roney, Gould's music reflects the free precision each teacher swore by. Thus "Lord Wallace" and "Dear Ralph" radiate with life as the trio displays a keen understanding of tight, split-second swing. Shmerling's solo during "Dear Ralph" hops with expectancy and nuance. Saxophonist Dayna Stephens brings late-night afterglow to Gigi Gryce's "Minority" and sass to Wayne Shorter's "Infant Eyes." Like Duke Ellington, Gould is elegant throughout, his solos rousing, injecting tradition and verve, bringing to the fore all we've come to expect from him and then some. Though the closing trio with string quartet, "In Memorium," might be a bit weepy it still luxuriates in itself. The kicker could be the 6/8 title tune, where Gould, Shmerling and Marshall bring it all to bear.

Track Listing

Blue Lotus; Lord Wallace; Dear Ralph; Resilience; Showtime; Queen Alma; Ascension; Infant Eyes; Minority; In Our Time; In Memorium.

Personnel

Album information

Title: In Our Time | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Blue Room Music

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter 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.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.