On these pages, we reviewed the pianist/composer/vocalist/bandleader Jon Batiste’s first album culled from his six-night residency in the Fall of 2018 at NYC’s famed Village Vanguard, Anatomy of Angels, which issued this past August. It just seemed inevitable that more was on the way and indeed these fiery performances, entitled Chronology of a Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard, serve as a glorious and fitting contrast to its more homage-filled, improvisational but more restrained predecessor. It’s expressed eloquently in the liner notes by David Fricke, “{They} are integral contrasts in spiritually charged composition and searching improvisation – two sides of the sustained, ecstatic sharing I vividly remember from my night at ringside, across the stage from the leader’s piano and frequent, radiant smile.”
This writer had the privilege of witnessing Jon Batiste with multiple guests at a three and half hour concert at this year’s Newport Jazz Festival, and the many millions who see him as Stephen Colbert’s bandleader, know how versatile and outgoing Batiste is. What was especially impressive about the Newport show was his ability to deliver his Grammy-nominated “St. James Infirmary” in trio format and then improvise on the spot in duel piano format with Ethan Iverson, Elew, and PJ Morton. Whether playing solo piano, leading a large ensemble, doing his singer-songwriter thing, accompanying a vocalist, or leading his own septet, as he does here, his results are consistently strong, and, at times, astonishing.
Batiste explains about the differences between the two albums, “Anatomy of Angels and Chronology of a Dream are two sides of the same coin. My compositions on Chronology focus on thematic development within short form structures with memorable melodic themes, while Angels focuses on thematic development within longer form structures that are built for deconstruction, never to be played the same way twice.” The retrospective aspect of Angels nodded to Monk, Coltrane, and The Great American Songbook, generally speaking the ‘50s era of jazz with a forward spin. Chronology goes to the next decade and a bit later, as Fricke says, “summoning the Great Spirits of mid-Sixties soul-jazz – Les McCann, Bobby Timmons, Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley – to a party that starts in high gear and keeps jumping to joy.” Batiste also adds, “Just as Duke Ellington composed music for his specific band members, my compositions here are tailored to how the band members and I play together.” There is also a distinct NOLA feel to the record, reflecting Batiste’s raising and exposure to Longhair, Toussaint, and Domino. He’s also incorporated greats like Tatum, Hancock, and Tyner into his wide-ranging style.
Listen to cuts like “PRINCE,” or “BLACCK,” and you will hear his band, Stay Human’s brand of interplay. Stay Human is comprised of trumpeter Giveton Gelin, alto saxophonist Patrick Bartley, tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, percussionist Nêgah Santos, guitarist Louis Cato and tuba/trumpet player Jon Lampley, anchored by Batiste’s long-time trio of bassist Phil Kuehn, and drummer Joe Saylor. Across the set you’ll hear enthusiastic audience participation (much louder than its predecessor) as they respond to second-line passages, parade-like sounds led by a tuba, vocal interaction among band members, and especially their own rhythmic clapping to support Batiste’s mind-blowing solo runs on “Kenner.”
At the heart of the album is the tragic passing of jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, who died suddenly on the opening night of the residency on November 2. Hargrove was a friend and mentor of Batiste’s and the night of his passing they paid tribute with a performance of a little-known composition of Hargrove’s “SOULFUL,” where trumpeter Giveton Gelin, a Hargrove mentee, performs reverently. The spirited performance is book-ended by two special pieces of spoken-word: a track called “STORY,” and then, to close the next cut, “ORDR.”
Batiste is one of our foremost artists, one who honors tradition and is forging his own path. “I’m honored to record some of my latest compositions with a band of young lions and play our hearts out in one of the world’s most legendary venues.” Says Batiste of the overall project. “This album, serving as part two of Anatomy Of Angels, is rooted in the sounds of black American music and classic jazz. May the circle be unbroken.” This recording does a marvelous job of capturing their uplifting vibe. Listen up and be sure to catch Batiste and Stay Human live to experience it yourself.
