Eric Revis, a Grammy Award-winning composer and bassist, is one of the most accomplished and talented musicians of his generation. He has been a major voice in jazz for the past 15 years. Branford Marsalis says that Eric’s sound “is the sound of doom”; it is big, thick and percussive. This statement has been confirmed by scores of musicians from many different disciplines. Revis has recorded and performed with Betty Carter and Jeff Watts, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Steve Coleman. Revis, who has been playing bass with Branford Marsalis’ powerfully flexible quartet since 1997 and has recorded four great albums as a leader. His remarkable abilities as a composer and musician are evident in Tales of the Stuttering Mime (2004) and Laughter’s Necklace of Tears (2009). His past is a part of his musical journey, but he’s not tied to it. This album Parallax (Clean Feed) gives us a glimpse at his musical path. Revis says that Tales of the Stuttering Mime was an amalgam of songs that I had been writing for a while. “Because there were a lot of influences at work, it required me to use different band configurations on almost all of my tunes, which was great because I had a real connection with all of them.” With Laughter’s Necklace of Tears, the same conceptual construct was in place regarding the confluence of musical influence, but I wanted to present it in a more cohesive manner in terms of having one group navigate songs for the record, rather than five or six. Parallax (Clean Feed), is both thematically broad and conceptually improvisational. The album’s approach is one that includes, extrapolates and explores. It is an authentic record of Revis’ development as a composer and bassist, and a sounding board, with Jason Moran, Ken Vandermark, and Nasheet Waits. Revis’ playing, as on all previous recordings, is unique and personal. His tone is deep and woody and his execution agile, melodic, and clear. Revis, a musical polyglot is at home in all settings and all directions. He is equally gifted as a composer and band leader. http://ericrevis.com
