Photo by Howard A. Gitelson

None of these stellar musicians needs much of an introduction to Twin Citians. From his days with the Illicit Sextet in the 90s through his release of two lustrous trio recordings, Chris Lomheim is well known for his impeccable Evanescent lyricism in small chamber ensembles and as an elegant accompanist for area vocalists. Veteran bassist Gordy Johnson has a long-standing affinity for the trio format, appearing on Lomheim’s two recordings and releasing three volumes of Trios with a long string of guest pianists and drummers. And among drummers, none can match Phil Hey’s elegant brand of swing and dexterity. Together, these three recorded The Bridge (Artegra, 2002) under Lomheim’s moniker and are frequently on the bandstand at the Dakota and Artists Quarter. For this Evans celebration, veteran bandleader/saxophonist Pete Whitman filled out the quartet, taking advantage of the opportunity to shine as the lone horn outside of his usual large ensemble work with his Departure Point, X-Tet, and on the front line of the Jazz Mn Big Band.

This event was billed without a leader, simply under the names of the four musicians, but Lomheim was undeniably the ringmaster of the Evans Circus. Long compared stylistically to his musical hero, Lomheim attributes his adolescent transition from organ to piano to Bill Evans’ Affinity recording, and the “Body and Soul” track in particular. “When I first heard Bill Evans it was on a tape that my organ teacher, Herb Wigley, made for me,” recalls Lomheim. “I remember it like it was yesterday… with Toots Thielemans on harmonica and Larry Schneider on tenor and soprano sax. The rich harmonies I heard
Bill play along with the haunting melodies drew me inside the music unlike anything I had ever heard before. I felt happiness and sadness all wrapped in one…It made me cry sometimes because of its honesty and beauty.”

This tribute to Evans was appropriately long on haunting melodies and rich harmonies. With just the trio, the opening Evans’ favorite, “My Romance,” morphed from Lomheim’s balladic introduction to swinging post bop as Johnson and Hey kicked up the pulse. Within a few bars it was clear that this is a well-matched team, fitting like hand-in glove-in hand; probably there is no better support on the planet for Lomheim’s lyrical cascades than Johnson and Hey, Johnson the master of melodically playful basslines while Hey provides seamless transitions from brushes to sticks and back again, while peppering often with bursts of staccato crackles.

Photo by Andrea Canter

Whitman took the stage on the second tune, the pivotal “Body and Soul” that first drew Lomheim into Evans’ magic. And if Evans had played tenor sax, I suspect he would have sounded much like Pete Whitman last night, taking the melody at a luxurious slow tempo, setting up a lush piano solo, then charging back with a swirling improvisation of repeating lines and a harder edge. While Whitman’s tone is generally more sass than sugar, his closing bottom register passages floated with am airy Webster-ish patina.

The opening tunes were definitive samplings of the remainder of the evening, and each musician stood out individually without turning his back on the team interplay. Lomheim has power and dexterity to burn, and with an underlying poetic soul, he is unsurpassed (in my humble opinion) as a melodic improviser. At times he surely seems to have more than ten fingers, and with technique that could easily be flaunted, each foray, each twisting run has a purpose (as rendered beautifully on Evans’ “Peri’s Scope”). Regardless of velocity, every note is clearly articulated, even with break-knuckle runs as on Evans’ “Laurie.” And easily Lomheim shifts gears, as on Ellington’s “Take the Coltrane” which starts off like thundering train and moves into a ferociously inventive solo arrangement. The presence of a leading horn seemed to free the pianist from some of the responsibility of carrying the melody, leaving him more space to introduce solos of high energy, never better displayed than on another Evans’ favorite, Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way.” With his composition chops on display on “Bo’s Blues,” Lomheim’s Monkish introduction of off-notes and quirky beats yielded to a playground of dissonant harmonies and a long wilding solo.

Throughout the evening, Pete Whitman’s contributions directly raised the energy level several notches above the trio’s usual pace. Evans’ “Funkalero” is a Lomheim favortie, one he often includes in his trio outings. In the quartet arrangement it became a showpiece for Whitman’s tenor explorations, while the Evans/Davis ballad “Blue in Green” displayed his darkly wailing, Milesian voice on soprano.

Gordy Johnson is not content to contribute lyrical basslines and thumping pulsations—he proved over and over that he is one heckuva soloist who can carry the melody and turn it inside out, all with a smile and a little shifty footwork, as if putting some body English into the big box will push the music to a higher level. And apparently it does just that. Maybe Johnson’s experience as a flautist early in his career has given him some extra affinity for a voiceless lyric, for he truly makes the bass sing, even dance. Whether gentrifying a melody as on “My Romance” or “Body and Soul,” or kicking up the pulse as on “Funkalero” or “Solar,” or entertaining with some snappy back and forth conversation with Phil Hey as on “Peri’s Scope,” Johnson conducts a master class. And on a ballad like “Blue in Green,” Johnson’s tonal poetry commands atypical attention from the audience.

Photo by Andrea Canter

Phil Hey is no stranger to critical acclaim, and his appearances with a wide range of touring national artists testify to his versatility and flexibility behind the trapset. But it is this very adaptability and subtle display of artistry that often belies the fact that Hey is a drummer of incredible speed and power when unleashed. Although his performance was often focused on delicate brushwork and briefly popping sonic detours, he took several opportunities to remind us all that when you see the plume of smoke, the lava flow can’t be far behind—cutting loose on “Take the Coltrane,” “Bo’s Blues,” and particularly building to a quick climax on the second set closer, “Solar.” Along the way he treats his audience and bandmates to a wide rang of touch and sound, pitter-patting high hats, clickety rimshots, dirging toms, and snarling snares.

Yet this was not an evening of mere magnificent soloing but above all a display of collegial interplay enhanced by the spontaneity of discourse among 4 friends enjoying each other’s company as we enjoyed the result. As much as these guys have played together, there is no cloak of rehearsal to dampen the joy of creating in the moment, even when the subject matter is as well-trod as “My Romance” or “Waltz for Debby.”

Strangely, neither of Chris Lomheim’s recordings contains a single Evans tune, and this group has not yet recorded together as a quartet. Both conditions should be remedied as soon as possible. It would be a fitting birthday tribute to the memory of Bill Evans, and a wonderful gift to fans of this shimmering music.

Chris Lomheim, Gordon Johnson, and Phil Hey perform again across the river at the Artists Quarter in downtown St. Paul on Wednesday, August 17^th at 9 pm (www.mnjazz.org). Information about The Bridge (featuring Lomheim, Johnson and Hey) is available on Chris Lomheim’s website, www.chrislomheim.com