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| 4/8 release, 4/9 Evening Sky performance @The Parlour to announce new EP, "The Long Weekend" On the heels of their unpredictable and inspired full-length recording, The Desert at Night, Evening Sky is back with a digital-only four- song EP. This time, the band, a quartet, is joined by two acclaimed horn players, Carl "Geerz" Gerhard on trumpet and flugelhorn, and tenor sax player Ben Shaw. Gerhard's resume includes a three-decade stint with the United States Navy Band, first as a performer, and ultimately, as Director and Conductor. He has also conducted both the Tokyo Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras multiple times. As a trumpeter, he has toured and recorded extensively with the iconic rock band Phish and is currently with Rhode Island's own Roomful of Blues. Tenor sax player Ben Shaw is a singer-songwriter, composer, and arranger himself, which makes him a kindred soul. Like that of Evening Sky, the music Ben makes comes from a unique voice that stretches over the vast expanse of music and the arts. In fact, aside from being a performer, Shaw organized a concert series, appropriately entitled, "Is This Jazz, " presenting both local and international musicians exploring the outer limits of jazz. Shaw and Gerhard join Chris Brooks (pedal steel), Eric Hastings (drums), Joe Potenza (bass), and Gino Rosati (guitar). The enhanced line-up adds a spicy and soulful dimension to the band's already groovy fusion of R&B, jazz, soul, pop, and jam. The EP includes four songs that serve as a funky addendum to The Desert at Night: the horn-driven "Thames Street Crawl, " the more leisurely slow burn of "Sunday Afternoon, " the New Orleans soul jam "Chicory Coffee, " and the closing, eight-minute "Where the Sea Meets the Stars, " an atmospheric ballad, stretched to eight minutes thanks to passionate, evocative soloing of the featured players and a lovely arrangement. For those that missed The Desert at Night, Evening Sky's third full-length, it's worth a discovery. The band, together since 2017, has created a truly ambitious instrumental sound, characterized by traditional sounds that happen in rather unexpected ways. The quartet blends seemingly disparate styles to create effortless grooves that both defy description and somehow feel completely logical. With the addition of two premier horn players, Evening Sky becomes something even more intriguing. Added to an already talented group, the horns bring the band into a jazzier, funkier, more rhythmic spectrum, capable of covering even more styles and digging into an even greater variety of sounds than before. Evening Sky is enjoying a monthly residency at the Parlour in Providence, where they have the luxury of flexing their chops while entertaining open-minded audiences. write your comments about the article :: © 2022 Jazz News :: home page |