Mark Egan - Direction Home (2016) [Hi-Res]

As a follow up to 2014’s About Now, his dynamic groove-oriented recording with longtime colleagues drummer Danny Gottlieb and keyboardist Mitchel Forman, bassist Mark Egan decided to stick to a strictly acoustic piano trio format on his new release, Direction Home. For this latest outing on his Wavetone Records label, the three intrepid improvisers stretch collectively in inventive ways while maintaining a deep connection to the groove.

Throughout the nine original tracks on Direction Home, Egan’s signature style and sound are prominently featured on the fretless electric bass, singing expressively through his 5-string instrument on tunes like the dramatic “After the Storm”, the slow, loping funk of “Jungle Walk”, the gentle ballad “Gratitude” and the title track, while solidly holding down the earthy grooves on “Summer Fun”, “Small Town Blues” and “Mountain People”. The collection closes in swinging fashion with “The Path Home”, which has the trio exhibiting uncanny interplay in a burning ¾ up-tempo mode.

Two songs on Direction Home -- the gentle “Gratitude”, which is underscored by Gottlieb’s sensitive brushwork, and the turbulent minor key “After the Storm” -- resonate with particularly personal feelings for the bassist-composer. As he explains: “Gratitude was solemnly inspired by my mother’s passing last year. It’s a ballad that expresses thanks to my parents for bringing me into this world, for nurturing me and for providing me with the opportunities that led me to this musical path“.

“After the Storm” is a musical response to hurricane Sandy, which devastated parts of Connecticut near our home. “We were without power for 12 days and my impressions from seeing nature’s wrath on the day after the hurricane were the inspiration for the song. The basic themes for most of the songs on this recording were composed at the piano.”

The dynamic 6/8 groover, “Mountain People”, the only piece on Direction Home not composed by Egan alone, is co-credited to Gottlieb and Forman. “I had the idea for the groove and had written the bass lines and a rough sketch of the form which reminded me of a Sting sounding bass line”, says Egan. “To help complete the composition and arrangement I asked Danny and Mitch to collaborate.”

Throughout the entire recording Gottlieb tastefully propels and compliments the trio with his masterful drumming. The dynamic duo of Egan and Gottlieb once again seamlessly flows as an innovative rhythm section after experiencing nearly four decades as a bass and drum team.

Both “Mountain People” and the rhythmically tricky “After Math” feature those gospel-infused piano flourishes by Forman while the more delicate “Gratitude” has him channeling his inner Bill Evans in a “Flamenco Sketches” vein. The funky and exuberant opener “Summer Fun” features the pianist in earthy and riveting piano performances that recall the soul-jazz leanings of Ramsey Lewis and Les McCann. He pushes the harmonic envelope on his adventurous solo on “Jungle Walk” while at times alluding to the adventurous stylings of Ahmad Jamal and the gospel-tinged vamping of Keith Jarrett. “On my previous recording, Mitch alternated between piano and Fender Rhodes, and he also played synths on a few tracks”, says Egan of About Now. “This time out I decided to continue exploring with the trio with an all acoustic piano instrumentation. I feel that the music evolved in many ways to be more progressive, collectively featuring more extended solos both harmonically and rhythmically. In general we took more chances with Direction Home.”

The results are rewarding from opener to closer on Direction Home, with plenty of room for exploratory solos along the way. It’s another triumph in Egan’s burgeoning catalog as a leader.