Tarbaby feat. Oliver Lake - Dance of the Evil Toys

With its provocative, confrontational name, the trio formed by Orrin Evans, Eric Revis (yes, the same playing in Branford Marsalis’ band) and Nasheet Waits, each one with compositional and leading status, call again alto saxophonist Oliver Lake for a record which mixes “loud, frenetic, agressive, free form music” (we’re quoting from the press) with delicacies of pure beauty and nuance.

As in previous releases, there’s another horn player, this time trumpeter Josh Lawrence, and – less common in Tarbaby’s discography – a percussionist, Dana Murray. Coming from the post-bop tradition, and through Lake, a veteran musician active since the Seventies, reconciling it with the present-day avant-jazz, the music in “Dance of the Evil Toys” finds a rare balance between brute force and mathematical rhythmic signatures. So, this is it: one of the most exciting jazz bands around offer us again a magnificent opus.