Vintage sounding post bop is at the fingertips of pianist Orrin Evans along with his team of Immanuel Wilkins/ss, Vicente Archer/b and Bill Stewart/dr on this lithe collection of tunes.
You’ve got some real all star vets here, and it shows with the ease that these guys can swing and bear down. Stewart and Archer dig like members of a chain gang for Wilkins’ sweet soprano on “Mynah” and they simmer on “The Eleventh Hour” as Evans goes Hancockian on the frisky and wild “The Eleventh Hour”. Wilkins gives a gorgeous intro to the angular modal “Levels” with nimble ivories abounding, while Evans is genteel as he sashays into the lyrical “Dave”. Evans throws chords to Wilkins like red meat to a ravenous lion on the bluesy “Momma Loves” and the team gives a salute to vintage Blue Note sounds on the upbeat “Libra” while the whole team is dressed to the nines on the classy “ The Poor Fisherman”. Timeless treasures, and anything with Stewart as the anchor is worth keeping in your catalogue.