To title an album, or indeed anything or anyone The Phenomenal is setting them up for a fall. Quite often 'phenomenal' turns out to mean just 'very good' or even less. However, in the case of Individuation's The Phenomenal it is probably an appropriate title for the album - to call it anything else would be to sell it short.
Eaton blows tenor as if he'd invented the instrument and added a couple of octaves along the way. Playing the whole gamut of the instrument, he's very much a musician living in the moment maybe even a couple of jumps ahead whilst occasionally looking over his shoulder to remind himself of where he came from.
The two trumpets also do some paint-stripping. Their chase on Multiple Worlds is as exciting as any trumpet battle I've heard since the heady days of JATP. Difficult to separate them by name: one has a fuller sound than the other but the booklet notes don't offer any clues.
The rhythm section handles the complex rhythms and tempo changes with seeming ease. I'm not a big fan of synthesisers, they do nothing for me. However, there's an exception to most rules and when Brad Whiteley is at the controls he produces some esoteric sounds although I do feel more comfortable when the Bronx native is at the grand piano.
An extra bonus is the presence of Judi Silvano who adds her distinctive voice to a couple of tracks - Altarpiece No 1 and KC Counterpoint. The former has a dramatic, modern, semi-religious feel to it with some spiky soprano sax from Whitely whilst the latter, after the trumpets have had their say, is a funkier wordless vocal over a heavy groove. Her intonation over a mega-wide range is spot on as is her articulation of the sounds she produces.
All in all this has been quite a listening experience. So much to absorb I need to lie down in a darkened room to bring myself back to 2024.
Phenomenal? I think that maybe it is! Lance
Folk Song; Multiple Worlds; Imagination and Understanding; Parallex; Altarpiece No 1; KC Counterpoint; Blues and the Phenomenal Truth
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