The Evening: Live At Apparatus
Be A Light, 2022
9/10
Listen to The Evening: Live At Apparatus
The multiple Grammy nomineed duo The Baylor Project bring us a live recording here, where Jean Baylor (vocals) and Marcus Baylor (drums) are joined by Terry Brewer (piano, keys), Yasushi Nakamura (bass), Keith Loftis (tenor, soprano sax), Mark Williams (trombone) and Darren Barrett (trumpet) for the soul stirring set.
“Our Love Is Here To Stay” starts the listen with plenty of crowd participation, as the songs flows with incredibly smooth singing amid the warm and upbeat piano from Brewer that eventually recruits thick drums and bright brass, and “Lord Keep Me Day By Day” follows with focus on the piano acrobatics, where hand clapping from the audience reels us in further.
In the middle, “Tell Me A Story” gets quite intimate and showcases the soulful sax of Loftis alongside Jean’s poetic singing, while “We Swing ‘The Cypher’” is indeed full of a dance friendly energy that benefits from Nakamura’s bouncy bass and the dynamic horns.
Close to the end, the powerful gospel of “Happy To Be With You” spotlights Jean’s stunning voice that abruptly shifts into a colorful mix of jazz and R&B flavor, and “Only Believe” exits the listen with a sublime beauty that emits gorgeous singing and is complemented by gentle, absorbing musicianship.
A flawless performance that brings a very Motown appeal into the timeless jazz landscape, the Baylor’s and their esteemed band make for a performance you can’t help but admire.
Travels well with: Steve Gadd Band- At Blue Note Tokyo; Arturo O’Farrill- Virtual Birdland