Interleaved
OA2, 2023
9/10
The excellent pianist Andrew Moorhead is in the company of Marcos Varela’s bass and Ari Hoenig’s drums for this debut recording that looks at jazz in very exciting, distinct ways.
“SeriesOSeriesOSeries” opens the listen with a wandering, electronic presence that’s sci-fi friendly, and “World Wind” follows with warm keys and crisp drums alongside the mysterious atmosphere that makes for a highly unique landscape.
Halfway through, the hypnotic piano of “Five Tom” is met with innovative, harmonic gestures, while “Someday My Prince Will Come” balance soft keys, agile drumming and well timed bass for a reflective and mesmerizing tone of atypical jazz improvisation.
Closer to the end, “Fractured Hymn” carries a dreaminess that allows each of player’s inimitable talents to shine, and “Hug” exits the listen with a cinematic ambience that’s spacey and richly iconoclastic.
Moorhead has spent much of his life recently in the area of mathematical research, and his keen attention to detail spills over to his musical conversation, where Varela and Hoenig’s contributions help make for a striking and impressive first record.
Travels well with: Mason Razavi- Six-String Standards; Dan Trudell- Fishin’ Again