The Water Is Wide CD

As a rising star of the trombone on the New York scene, Steve Davis has made quite a name for himself in the bands of Chick Corea and the star-studded collective One For All. It is on his solo outings like POTRAIT IN SOUND, however, that listeners get the full picture of this remarkable musician. His muscular yet lyrical command of the trombone and his advanced compositional skills are all on full display here as he teams up with other New York heavies like Steve Nelson, David Hazeltine, Joe Farnsworth, and Brad Mehldau.

Davis composed the majority of the works on PORTRAIT, the exceptions being the chestnuts "I'm Old Fashioned," "Darn That Dream" and Corea's quirky "Shadows." Davis' title track opens with a hard bop groove that sets the tone with excellent work by the leader and vibist Nelson. Later, a change of gears with the soulful "The Slowdown" finds Davis and his men swinging nicely on a lazy backbeat and the silky Fender Rhodes of Hazeltine. However, it is the energetic drive of works like "Runway" and the closing "Samba D" that show why Davis is the favored successor to the likes of Curtis Fuller and J.J. Johnson.

Recorded at Cello Studios, Los Angeles, California in December 1999.

Personnel: Charles Lloyd (tenor saxophone); John Abercrombie (guitar); Brad Mehldau (piano); Darek Oles, Larry Grenadier (double bass); Billy Higgins (drums).

Recording information: Cello Studios, Los Angeles, CA (12/1999).

Photographer: Dorothy Darr.

Arranger: Charles Lloyd.

Personnel: Charles Lloyd (tenor saxophone); Brad Mehldau (piano); John Abercrombie (guitar); Larry Grenadier, Darek Oles (acoustic bass); Billy Higgins (drums).

Entertainment Weekly (12/29/00, p.146) - Ranked #2 in EW's Top 3 Jazz Albums of 2000 - "...Finds the veteran tenot saxophonist at a new lyrical peak...playing with invention and passion..."
Uncut (2/01, p.88) - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 - "...The overall tranquility of what amounts to one of the year's truly great albums is further enhanced by piano heir-apparent Brad Mehldau..."
CMJ (8/21/00, p.29) - "...Sublime....with a subtely that draws listeners in....melodic, soft bop simmering under the bright blue flame of Lloyd's gentle Lester Young-like tone..."
Down Beat (10/00, p.61) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...A series of unhurried strolls through the kind of still-life subjects that give a player plenty of time to think and contemplate....the overall tone here is one of quiet thoughtfulness..."
JazzTimes (11/00, p.78) - "...Finds [him] applying his low-key tenor and lovely unassuming tonality to serene melody making....The warmth that permeates this disc is palpable and real..."