Description
After nearly two years, Okonski returns with Entrance Music – an album that finds the trio at the height of their improvisational prowess and celebrating the spontaneous and meditative. On the heels of 2023s debut Magnolia, pianist and leader Steve Okonski has reconvened long-time musical collaborators (Durand Jones and the Indications bandmate Aaron Frazer on drums and bassist Michael Isvara Ish Montgomery) for another session in the spirit of artists like the Bad Plus, Gerald Clayton, and The Breathing Entrance Music serves as an invitation to early hours, where songs linger in the doorway, announcing their presence before returning to the air, in a meticulous drift into the next. Recorded over a five day session, Entrance Music was one of the first albums committed to tape at Portage Lounge, Terry Coles studio in Loveland, OH. It was a new setup, but with Terry behind the dials it was very familiar, says Okonski. I cant emphasize enough how much Terry feels like a fourth member [of the band] because of the space hes curating, the energy he is bringing, and the production energy and sound created with the Colemine labelhead at the helm makes for a listening experience equally at home with ECM or Stones Throw catalogues. From the rippling notes of the pastoral opener, October, Entrance Music is lush with anticipation, both band and listener feeling the tension in the tranquility where the interplay of jazz improvisation and boom bap beats never shortchanges the musicianship but the talent is ever in service of the song. While the band does not play together as often as they would like, not much time is needed for the three to lock in. Montgomerys bass opening to Passing Through bends and moves with a singular meditative grace before piano and percussion joins the daylight filling a room with breath and light. If Magnolia resonated with last calls and late nights, Entrance Music counters with early mornings and first cups of coffee. Whereas much of the debut resonates with his time in New York, Entrance Music feels a little less on the streets at 2 A.M. and a little more nature-baseda little more ethereal, says Okonski. Its definitely age, environment, and family all of that does come through in the music.
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