Charles Evans: On Beauty

Baritone saxophonist Charles Evans composed these pieces for his one-time teacher, eminent saxophonist David Liebman who performs exclusively on soprano saxophone during this drummer-less quartet date. Thus, Evans is on the heels of his highly praised solo outings on More Is More Records, The King of All Instruments (2009) and Live at St. Stephens (2009).

The leader's polychromatic expressiveness and remarkable fluency shines once again with these often swirling and interconnected theme-building sprees, casting a semblance of perpetual motion amid the sax masters' galvanizing, pumping and cyclonic improvisations. In addition, pianist Ron Stabinsky (Mostly Other People Do The Killing) intersperses a few plush cadenzas into various tracks, but largely plays a multifaceted role throughout, as the musicians yield a homogenous composite of structure and free flowing improv.

The final track "Ending Beauty," commences with Evans' soulfully introspective phrasings and sprinkled with Stabinsky's upper-register notes, where longtime Liebman collaborator Tony Marino's firm bass lines stabilize the ongoing developments. With inquisitive statements and a mix of quiet and brashly phased choruses the band breaks into a rollicking super-speed free-bop motif that is swiftly executed and to the point. Moreover, the saxophonists' converge, trade fiery fours, and dish out resonating extended notes via regenerating processes that soothingly fades to a close with the pianist's two-note chord voicings. It culminates an effort where the artists' guileful concepts and inventions come to fruition at warp speed.