By Don Phipps
Combining improvisation and formalism, the music on the Kris Davis Trio’s Run the Gauntlet sizzles and pops with creative flair. Davis (piano),
Robert Hurst (bass) and Johnathan Blake (drums) bring their A game to the
studio, and over the course of the album’s ten compositions, nine by Davis
and one by Blake, the trio work their magic in dynamic artistic fashion.
Davis, who composed nine of the ten tracks that grace the album (the one
exception is the beautiful Blake ballad “Beauty Beneath the Rubble”), uses
a combination of blues infused modal architecture to catapult her
explorations – journeys that contain elements of boisterous and energetic
free playing side by side with soft poetic flourishes. Listen to the
rotational structure evidenced in “Little Footsteps,” where her music
sounds almost circular – as though one is tripping down a set of stairs in
slow motion. And her technique – centered on a precise touch of the keys –
adds to the emotional element, whether she is playing full chords, free
running motifs, or single notes. Then there is her head-nodding “Heavy
footed,” where at one point she creates a series that is almost harp-like.
Or the aggressive and pushy “Knotweed,” which highlights her ability to
propel abstractions along as though they were wild horses galloping across
open land. And one should not miss the title cut, where she mixes modal and
free playing to create a stunning, jumpy, driving dance.
Hurst adds his plucks and bowing to create interest within the structures
of the compositions. On the title cut and on “Little Footsteps,” listen to
his agile bass solo, which creates a strong element of surprise while
remaining firmly planted within the compositional flow. Or his dreamy
opening on “Softly, As You Wake” and “Beauty Beneath the Rubble,” an intro
that sets just the right atmosphere for the trio’s bluesy poetic ambiance.
And on “Knotweed,” where his racing lines feel so fluid, they sound like
the musical equivalent of water rollicking down a mountain channel.
Blake’s drumming is simultaneously warm and forceful. His cymbal work
contributes on almost all of the tracks in unexpected and startling ways.
For example, the way he uses cymbals to create the equivalent of gentle
ocean spray on “Beauty Beneath the Rubble Meditation.” And on the title
cut, “Little Footsteps,” “Heavy footed,” and “Knotweed,” how he plays off
Davis’s rolls and strolls with lively and impressive – but never
heavy-handed – all-over drum work. His off-beat pulses are particularly
notable on the title cut (where his solos are not to be missed) and “Coda
Queen.” And even on short passages, like the opening of “Knotweed,” you
can hear the meticulous way he shapes his forceful expositions.
Beyond the outstanding music, what makes Run the Gauntlet significant is
its varied use of tempo and how it is used to create pieces that soar with
spirit while remaining coupled to structure. Think of a kite that sways
along in the wind while tethered to a string. On Run the Gauntlet, Davis
and her bandmates invite us to glide, float, and spin along her
compositional universe. And what a special head-nodding universe it is!
Highly recommended.