Wayne Escoffery: Like Minds

Wayne Escoffery was born in London and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. He began playing the saxophone at the age of 11, later studying at the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In the late 1990s, Escoffery started gaining recognition on the jazz scene with his tenure in the Eric Reed Septet and later joining the Mingus Big Band.

After completing his studies, Escoffery moved to New York City, where he quickly became a sought-after sideman. He performed and recorded with numerous renowned artists, including Ron Carter, Ben Riley, Eddie Henderson, and Carl Allen among others. In 2001, Escoffery won the BMI/Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composer's Competition and in 2003, the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer's Award.

Like Minds is Escoffery's second album for Smoke Session Records. The album title reflects the search for common ground and empathy among his long-time collaborators. On it, Escoffery uses his core band over the last seven years except for drummer Ralph Peterson, who passed away in 2021. His replacement, Mark Whitfield, Jr., is the perfect choice to take over the seat, having been a star pupil of Peterson. Escoffery has also invited a few guests who share his vision, such as Tom Harrell and Mike Moreno. Two songs also feature the vocalist Gregory Porter.

The title track opens the album. It is an up-tempo bop piece with a deceptively simple melody. After the head, Escoffery takes over. His fluid lines and his expressive sound give a portent of what's to come. Moreno on guitar takes over and playfully goes up, down, and all around the melody. Pianist David Kikoski's use of the Fender Rhodes on this and the next track is interesting, as it is not used often in current bop/post-bop settings. It does work well here due to the complexity of the arrangement.

Charles Mingus' "Nostalgia In Times Square" follows. This arrangement is conceived in a slower, funkier manner than the original. Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Whitfield Jr. sit in the groove pocket throughout. The use of the Fender Rhodes here gives this track the feel of the old Creed Taylor CTI Records sessions. Escoffery, Harrell and Kikoski exchange strong, soulful solos.

The first of the vocal tracks is "My Truth." With music and words by Escoffery, it is a slow, vulnerable, plaintive cry of the human condition. In the liner notes, he states, it is "a look at where I am right now, and I think where a lot of us are, in relation to society. We live in this duality."

The opening lyric states:

My truth is love
My truth is pain,
My truth is freedom
My truth is everything.

The lyrics continue with a litany of self-expressive exhortations. Porter delivers a weary, but strong and confident vocal. Kikoski's accompaniment sets the mood before Escoffery gets to wail his truth and later Harrell shows (at the age of 77) why he's a living legend. It is a perfectly conceived and executed track (see YouTube video below).

The other vocal is "Rivers of Babylon," a Rastafarian song written and recorded by Brent Dowe with the reggae group The Melodians in 1970. Escoffery says "Being from Jamaican ancestry, I grew up hearing the song and knowing it just as much as (I suppose) a black American would know 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.'" This version has a completely different arrangement. The reggae tempo is slowed down to a prayer-like meditation. It starts with a Pharoah Sanders/Leon Thomas type intro before delving into the body of the song. It is a deeply spiritual performance as Escoffery and Porter make this song their own.

"Shuffle" is a classic bop composition, with a great theme, while Duke Pearson's "Idle Moments" is a simple slow, funky, blues piece with Escoffery and Moreno out front.

"Song of Serenity" was written by the late drummer, Ralph Peterson. It serves as the group's dedication to him. The piano motif is reminiscent of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," while Escoffery plays soprano sax. He states, "I've noticed that I play differently when I play soprano. I think more about melody." It is a beautiful tune and shows off the leader's versatility on the soprano. During the solo, he soars above everyone with the shimmering sheets of sound reminiscent of John Coltrane's explorations of the instrument.

Escoffery's compositional skills, along with his increasing growth on sax and choice of sympathetic sidemen, come together to make Like Minds a truly rewarding listening experience.

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