In Our Time
Blue Room, 2021
8/10
The veteran piano player and esteemed composer Victor Gould returns with his 4th album as bandleader, where he’s aligned with Tamir Shmerling on bass and Anwar Marshall behind the drum kit as well as several guests deeper into the listen.
“Blue Lotus” starts the listen with the keys, drums and bass interacting in highly melodic and flowing ways that emit much beauty and warmth, and “Lord Wallace” follows with Gould’s divine finger acrobatics highlighting the graceful, playful climate of timeless jazz song craft.
Halfway through, “Showtime” trims the pace back with a calm, stirring display of sublime piano work amid light percussion, while “Queen Alma” showcases firm key manipulation in the solo piano waltz. “Infant Eyes”, by Wayne Shorter, then recruits Dayna Stephens on tenor saxophone for the layered, meticulous album highlight that swings charmingly.
“In Our Time” lands near the end and moves swiftly, where dynamic musicianship between the keys, drums and bass is appreciated in 6/8 time, and “In Memoriam” exits the listen with violin from Yoojin Park and Monica Martin, as well as Erica Gailing on viola and Dale Jeong handling cello as the orchestral influence makes an impact alongside the strong chemistry between the trio.
An artist with some serious academic credentials, Gould has performed with/recorded with legends like Esperanza Spalding, Branford Marsalis and Buster Williams, among many others, and his work certainly holds its own against those names where his creative jazz vision is nothing short of flawless.
Travels well with: Lukasz Pawlik- Long-Distance Connections; The Dave Mullen Ensemble- Solace