Bassist Eric Revis’ CV as a sideman runs the gamut from work with high-profile,
top-drawer mainstream jazz bosses like Betty Carter and Brandford Marsalis to
high-wire improvisation with Peter Brötzmann and the collective trio
Tarbaby. Put him in the driver’s seat and his ensembles cover similarly broad
terrain. This quartet pulls together key personnel from previous Revis-lead
ensembles, and it’s a heavy crew; pianist Kris Davis, clarinet/saxophonist Ken
Vandermark and drummer Chad Taylor are all leaders and composers on their own,
and Revis takes full advantage of their talents here. The material ranges from
massively stormy to fiendishly complex to quietly lyrical, with plenty
happening behind each soloist to make this a set of complete musical
performances rather than frameworks for one or more players to show their stuff.