Teodross Avery - Live in NYC (2021)

Following up on his recent and successful tribute albums to John Coltrane (After The Rain) and Thelonious Monk (Harlem Stories), Teodross Avery puts the emphasis on his original material on Live In NYC. Teamed up with a powerful rhythm section (pianist Benito Gonzalez, bassist Corcoran Holt, and drummer Marvin "Bugalu" Smith), the tenor-saxophonist performs stirring music that is certain to create waves in the music world.

Beginning with the simple but effective theme of "Spiritual Sunrise, " Avery and his musicians perform music that starts out on a very passionate level and then builds from there. While there are times that the group is a little reminiscent of the John Coltrane Quartet, each of the musicians has his own individual voice, creating forward-looking music that never lets up. Benito Gonzalez gained his initial fame for his seven years of touring with Kenny Garrett. Corcoran Holt has worked with the who's who of jazz (including Garrett, Wycliffe Gordon, Javon Jackson, Steve Turre and Jamison Ross) and was on Avery's Harlem Stories album while Marvin "Bugalu" Smith (who was also on that recording) has an endless resume that includes associations with Sun Ra, Archie Shepp, Charles Mingus, Chet Baker and countless others.

"Spiritual Sunrise" has solo space for each of the players with Smith's spot on drums being danceable yet unpredictable. "The Afar Warrior" features among its highlights a virtuosic Holt bass solo before it climaxes with Avery's screams in the upper register. "Round Midnight" begins with 90 seconds of stunning solo tenor playing from Avery which is followed by a respectful melody chorus and some fresh variations on the Thelonious Monk classic. On the raging "Volatility, " Gonzalez's piano gets the piece off to a rousing start that fits its title. Avery's improvisation shows that he excels at the furious tempo. The medium-tempo cooker "Drastic Changes" precedes the brooding "I Don't Care, " a blues-based tune which, like "All Blues, " is in waltz time. "The Uptown Sound" closes the memorable set with a swinger that clearly inspires the players who often seem to think as one.

Teodross Avery began playing the tenor when he was 13 and his career got off to a fast start. He started attending Berklee when he was 17, led his first record (In Other Words for the GRP label) at 19, and has been a busy musician ever since. In addition to leading a series of stimulating albums, he has recorded with Dee Bridgewater, Hank Jones, Rodney Jones, and Ann Hampton Callaway, toured with Lauryn Hill, worked on numerous films and sessions, earned a Doctorate in Jazz Studies from USC, and became the head of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Music at Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Live In NYC is the latest accomplishment in Teodross Avery's career, a memorable and powerful statement from one of today's top tenors.