Dave Phillips & Freedance: Prayer

Bassist Dave Phillips leads his quartet through a loosely climactic venture throughout these nine works. The album title provides a speck of information about the band’s mode of execution. Phillips and company are in no great rush to get to the point, evidenced on pieces such as “Window” and “Prayer,” where the band pursues staggered swing grooves and whispery choruses. Electric guitarist Rez Abbasi’s dark toned lines serve as a near perfect foil for alto saxophonist John O’ Gallagher’s feathery choruses. The lead soloists share sentiments via intuitive dialogues atop the often-swirling rhythmic foundations laid down by Phillips and drummer Tony Moreno. The band pulls into overdrive on “Tribute To Stu,” featuring Phillips’ booming ostinato lines and the soloists’ complexly woven unison parts. Yet one of the key ingredients of this affair is the quartet’s acute utilization of space. To that end, the musicians project an open-air soundscape. In addition, the glistening sonic qualities of this recording act as an enhancer of sorts - especially noticeable on the final piece, “Incarnation” – where Abbasi uses his sitar guitar to great effect! Recommended...

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