Three

Description

There's good reason why jazz fans and critics alike are so excited about Lafayette Gilchrist. The young Baltimore-based pianist and composer hit the jazz scene hard with his 2004 debut, The Music According To Lafayette Gilchrist, and went straight to earning raves for his second release, Towards The Shining Path, in 2005. Emerging from jazz legend David Murray's Big Band and Quartet, a group in which he still plays to this day, Gilchrist commands an approach and presence that's drawn comparisons to royalty such as Andrew Hill and Thelonious Monk. On Gilchrist's first two releases, however, he was backed by an eight-piece band with a raging funk horn section. On this aptly-titled third album he is captured alone front and centre with his trio. In this context, the weight is firmly on Gilchrist to carry the day. As one might expect, he responds with dazzling results that showcase an entirely new side of his musical persona. The compositions swing and groove, the improvisations run from introspective to extroverted with confidence and finesse. With this release it's clear that a major new figure is staking his claim to the jazz vanguard. As the Village Voice recently stated, "slide over, Jason Moran - you've got competition."