- A
- A
- A
This recording documents music from three nights of performances by the Baylor Project, a Grammy-nominated group led by the husband/wife team of drummer Marcus Baylor and vocalist Jean Baylor. The shows took place at Apparatus, a New York City design studio that was converted into a nightclub for three nights in May of 2022. The audience is one of the most enthusiastic I’ve ever heard on a small-venue recording, and that obviously inspired a performance worthy of the appreciation. While the band is named the Baylor Project, it could easily be Jean’s group, for Jean is front and center. She has a wonderful voice, sings with great feeling throughout, trades scat choruses with trumpeter Darren Barrett and saxophonist Keith Loftis on the aptly titled “We Swing (The Cypher),” and has the audience sing along on “Love Makes Me Sing.” Other highlights include the lovely ballad “Tenderly,” with outstanding solos by Loftis and bassist Yasushi Nakamura; the Baylors’ contemporary arrangement of the gospel hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” with an excellent piano solo by Terry Brewer; and the finger-popping shuffle of “Happy to Be With You.” The live sound is very good and the atmosphere is electric. Makes you wish were there.
By Greg Turner
More articles from this editorRead Next From Music
Igor Levit: Fantasia
- Mar 26, 2024
Madlib: Shades of Blue (Madlib Invades Blue Note)
- Mar 22, 2024
Betty Davis: Crashin’ from Passion
- Mar 19, 2024
The Replacements: Tim: Let it Bleed Edition
- Mar 15, 2024