Bluesthetic by Steve Davis
On Bluesthetic, Steve Davis "Stevie-D" assembled a sextet of notable performers. He blends hard bop with modern jazz sensibilities. After graduating in 1989 from The University of Hartford Hartt School's Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, Steve joined Art Blakey's final edition of his Jazz Messengers.
Who is Steve Davis? Here is what All About Jazz said about Mr. Davis.
Steve Davis is widely regarded as one of today's leading improvisors on the trombone. His lyrical, hard-swinging style first gained him broad recognition during the 1990's while working with the bands of jazz legends Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, Chick Corea's acclaimed sextet Origin and the renowned cooperative sextet, One For All.
Bluesthetic, released on the Smoke Sessions label in 2022, kicks off with "Encouragement," a light, up-tempo piece. After a brief intro, Steve Davis takes the lead with a spirited trombone solo, setting the tone for the track. The spotlight then shifts to Steve Nelson on vibraphone, Peter Berstein on guitar, Geoffrey Keezer on piano, Christian McBribe on bass, and Willie Jones III on drums, each showcasing their exceptional skills throughout the opening track.
There are good performances by several group members on "They wore 44." This interesting title is a sports reference for a song written as an homage to the number of notable professional athletes who wore the number 44.
On "Faraway Dream," Steve Nelson gives a short but soulful solo on vibraphone, and I particularly enjoyed the opening, closing, and meandering flow of the title track, "Bluesthetic."
Steve Davis, a talented and prolific artist, and his current group of musicians have added Bluesthetic to the list of 20 plus albums Mr. Davis has produced since 1996. I look forward to exploring more of his extensive body of work.
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