I listen to a lot of jazz, and believe me, one of the hardest things to do in today’s music is to sound both respective of the past but not tied down by it. Pianist Peter Martin handles that tightrope adroitly with his Generation S team of Sarah Hanahan/as, Reuben Rogers/ b and Gregory Hutchinson/dr on this album of originals, recorded live at the headquarters of Open Studio, St. Louis.
I’m not sure what the ”S” stands for, but I’m assuming that it’s for “swing” as these cats are dancing the whole way through. Hanahan has a hint of vintage Lou Donaldson in her vibe on the exciting “Generation S” around Martin’s lyrical fingers, while she gets down and bluesy after taking the baton from Rogers, with Hutchinson providing the shuffle back beat on “That’s What’s Up. “
The leader goes full stride on the intro to “Groove Echo Chamber before the rest of the band comes in and pops the clutch into a burning romp, while the leader is elegant with a hint of gospel on “Gratitude in Motion”.
Hanahan is getting my attention here-she’s drop dead gorgeous wafting above Hutchinson’s brushes on “Abstract Courage” and pulls out her Johnny Hodges card for a delicate and deft “Finding Our Identity”. But Martin is nothing if not a leader of an air tight rhythm section and he lets Hutchinson hit hard on the intro to a rivulet of a bopper in “Alfred T” and lets the team get into a soulful strut on “Path Adjacent”. Ok-so when are they hitting the road and coming to LA with some baby back St. Louis ribs?