As with his previous effort, 2015's
A Million Colors in Your Mind, pianist
Cyrus Chestnut's second Highnote release, 2016's
Natural Essence, finds him communing with two veteran artists for a deeply heartfelt and swinging session. Whereas last time
Chestnut was joined by bassist
David Williams and drummer
Victor Lewis, here he has conscripted the talents of bassist
Buster Williams and drummer
Lenny White. Both
Williams and
White are industry icons with decades of playing experience and credits with such luminaries as
Herbie Hancock,
Freddie Hubbard,
Art Blakey,
Woody Shaw,
Tony Williams,
McCoy Tyner, and many others. While many of
Chestnut's recordings lean toward the strait-laced and straight-ahead approach to modern jazz, he is by no means a reserved musical traditionalist. On the contrary, while he is adept at swinging acoustic jazz, one of his most formative experiences was as a member of vocalist
Betty Carter's trio. A genre-bending maverick,
Carter purportedly encouraged
Chestnut to try new things and approach even the most well-known standard in an unexpected way. That expectation defying aesthetic fits nicely into
Chestnut's work here with
Williams and
White, who come from a generation of jazz musicians who grew up playing electrified fusion, funk, and highly progressive post-bop influenced by the avant-garde. While the music here is more stripped down to the jazz essentials, they nonetheless tackle even the most well-known standard, like "It Could Happen to You," with a creative ebullience and in-the-moment spontaneity that grab your attention throughout. Also thrilling are the trio's takes on several original compositions, including
Chestnut's sophisticated, minor-tinged "Faith Amongst the Unknown,"
White's languid, urbane ballad "Dedication," and
Williams' soulful, roiling "Toku-Do." ~ Matt Collar