WAYNE ESCOFFERY

ALONE

Smoke Sessions Records

Wayne Escoffery, tenor saxophone/composer/arranger; Ron Carter, bass; Gerald Clayton, piano; Carl Allen, drums.

Wayne Escoffery’s sultry, bluesy, tenor saxophone melody slides off my CD player like oil on glass. His sound is smooth. I’m immediately captivated by the melody of his original song titled, “Moments With You.” When Gerald Clayton enters on piano, his solo lifts the arrangement to another level.  Underneath this ballad, I hear the rich double bass accompaniment of the iconic Ron Carter, locking in with Carl Allen’s steady heartbeat on drums. This is a song I had to play twice!

This release is a very different album than his 2023 product called “Like Minds.”

His current album shows the softer side of Wayne Escoffery. The next song on the “Alone” album is another dreamy tempo and it’s the title tune. It’s a jazz waltz with Carl Allen pushing the song forward on drums like a determined snowplow. The counter melody of the bass line has a conversation with Escoffery’s saxophone. The acoustic bass gives his own solid opinion, using counter melodies that harmonize and complete the saxophone sentences. Gerald Clayton’s complimentary piano chords help build the tension and texture of the tune. When Clayton offers up his own improvisational solo, he is thoughtful and creative.

There is a peace and elegance hanging above this project, warm as summer sunshine. Harold Land’s beautiful composition “Rapture” fits right into the theme of Escoffery’s album. The familiar “Shadow of Your Smile” finds Escoffery caressing notes in the lower register of his tenor sax, with Clayton’s carefully placed chords supporting the melody in creative ways, adding depth and character to a piece we’ve heard many times. This quartet makes the song fresh and interesting. Clayton’s solo is exquisite.

I was excited to hear how they interpreted the Ron Carter composition, “Blues for D.P.” It was effectively offered to the listener as a slow blues, with each musician adding their unique solo improvisation. Two thirds of the way through, Allen kicks his drum licks into action, giving the blues some breaks.  They act like a bridge, where a vocalist would come in with words of wisdom while the band laid out.

This is a soothing album of moderate tempo tunes, played by jazz masters who put their mastery to work and transform the familiar to the unusual, and the probable to the unexpected. This album will be released to the public August 30, 2024.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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