Evanescent
Self-Released, 2024
8/10
The guitarist and composer Jay Sanders brings along plenty of friends for these 7 lively rock songs that touch on blues, jazz, and even improvised ideas.
“Ode To Voyager” starts the listen with an indeed spacey appeal, where the mysterious climate goes right into the bright textures of “Morningtide”, where Steve Alford and Jacob Rodriguez’s animated saxes and Evan Martin’s lively drums make for a rich delivery.
“Libby’s Theme” and “Krekel” land in the middle, where the former is an intimate moment via Sanders melodic guitar and Casey Driessen’s warm fiddle, while the latter emits a crunchy rock appeal thanks to Zack Page’s strategic bass and Justin Ray’s well timed trumpet that suits the dense guitar.
The title track exits the listen, and it’s a hazy moment of agile grooves and subdued yet adventurous interaction between the skilled players.
Sanders brings a wealth of experience and diversity to the affair, where jazz, rock, blues, metal, and African influences are all apart of this timeless and exciting formula.
Travels well with: Michael O’Neill- Arrival; Brent Birckhead- Cacao