Wayne Escoffery - Intuition (Extended Version) (2017)

Tenor Wayne Escoffery gets his second album off to an intense start with the self-penned title tune, "Intuition." He begins with an interloping part repeated for several refrains before the rest of the group kicks in and sends the piece into rapid motion. Escoffery is joined by trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, pianist Rick Germanson, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Ralph Peterson on this and eight other pieces, some old, some new. Pelt's "Tightrope" slows things down a bit, but deepens the overall impression that the players are in sync with one another. The composition also gives Pelt a chance for a lengthy solo, and his tone and approach makes him a good match for Escoffery. Germanson's intense chord blocking adds an urgency to "The Alchemist" and a gentle Sunday-afternoon mood to "The First One." Both of these pieces, along with "Enduring Freedom" and "Is This the Same Place I'm In?," were also written by Escoffery, and all show him to be a thoughtful and ambitious composer. Vocalist Carolyn Leonhart makes a guest appearance on "I Should Care" about halfway through the album, and her cool tone melds well with Escoffery's soprano work. Intuition is a finely realized post-bop album, and should be warmly welcomed by fans of his first work. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.