(Hard Bop) Eric Wyatt - Look To The Sky - 2017, MP3, 320 kbps

Saxophone player Eric Wyatt's Look to the Sky is a musical reflection on his life, bringing together the influence of a variety of tenor saxophonists including Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and his father, Charles Jolley Wyatt. Virtuosic playing abounds with pianist Benito Gonzalez's double-time runs, trumpeter Keyon Harrold's melodic prowess and the crisp vocal stylings of Andrea Miller.
Brooklyn-born and bred Eric Wyatt owns a solid berth along the saxophone continuum originally laid out by guys like Parker, Coltrane and Rollins. Throughout his career, his playing has been edgy and inventive, heartfelt and poignant. In fact, his father was good friends with Rollins and after Wyatt’s dad passed away, Sonny Rollins became involved in Eric’s music. “After my dad passed in 1989, Sonny became very present in my music and offered his help. I was given the opportunity to record my first CD, Godson, on the Japanese label King Records. Sonny suggested the title Godson because it explained his and my dad’s Hope. The Godson CD featured Al Foster, Rufus Reid and Mark Soskin, all members of Sonny’s bands.
Look to the Sky, Wyatt’s debut for Whaling City Sound and his sixth recording overall, is magnificently realized, both instrumentally and emotionally. There are musical nods to his father (“Jolley Charlie”) and mother (“Psalm for Phennie”), to Coltrane (“My Favorite Things”) and a few other intimate touch points, some original, a few written by his accompanist, Benito Gonzalez. Indeed, Wyatt is joined here by excellent progressive musicians, including the resounding pianist Gonzalez, drummers Shinnosuke Takahashi and Kyle Poole, Eric Wheeler on bass and Keyon Harrold on trumpet. Together, their music is filled with hope and dedication, reciprocity and passion. With every recording, Wyatt flourishes, in terms of artistry and intensity, power and finesse. Look to the Sky is the man’s — and his band’s — finest and fullest record yet.