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Peter Evans Quintet: Ghosts

By Mark Corroto
April 2, 2011
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The Peter Evans Quintet's Ghosts acts as a sort of back-to-the-future recording—that is, if the present were 2021. This inaugural release on the trumpeter's own label has a standard trumpet/piano/bass/drums setup, plus the incorporation of real-time, live electronic processing to make up the full quintet.

Listening to any recording by Evans often prompts the dubious query, "What did I just hear?" since this ��ber-talent is equally comfortable in the worlds of jazz, classical, and free improvisation. Like his compatriot

Jon Irabagon

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Irabagon, from the reckless post-post-bop band

Mostly Other People Do the Killing

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Evans has talent on loan from the jazz gods. His trumpet can be heard on Electric Fruit (Thirsty Ear, 2011) with

Weasel Walter

drums
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Weasel Walter and

Mary Halvorson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Halvorson, in duos with fellow trumpeter

Nate Wooley

trumpet
b.1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Nate Wooley or bassist

Tom Blancarte

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Blancarte, and in compelling solo settings. Evans' experiments in electronics began with a session in

Evan Parker

saxophone, soprano
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Evan Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble. But where that was a large troupe, the quintet heard here emphasizes the contributions of Sam Pluta.

The disc opens with ..."One to Ninety-Two," Evans' reinterpretation of

Mel Torme

vocals
1925 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Mel Torme's "Christmas Song." While the harmonies of the original remain, the band reworks its context. Opening with an intimate club scene, the humans acoustically play with the time signature, speeding and slowing time while their sound is processed via electronics. What is presented is a trumpet sounding much like

Ben Neill

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Neill's mutantrumpet, with electronic gnats buzzing the bandstand. Evans is free to improvise on the melody, while the electronics act as equal partner.

What the music is not is a mash-up or remix. Plata's manipulations can either act as a gentle wash, as it does on the ballad "Ghosts," or a buzzing retro-robot on "The Big Crunch," with Evans sitting out and the piano/bass/drums pounding out the pulse for a slot machine solo. This disc doesn't lack for Evans' multiphonic register leaps and superb group interactions, it's just that the ghost in the machine here happens to be human.

Ghosts is a modern classic of the future.

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Track Listing

...One to Ninety Two; 323; Ghost; The Big Crunch; Chorales; Articulation; Stardust.

Personnel

Peter Evans

trumpet

Peter Evans: trumpet, piccolo trumpet; Carlos Homs: piano; Tom Blancarte: bass; Jim Black: drums; Sam Pluta: live processing.

Album information

Title: Ghosts | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: More Is More Records

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