"A journey into a rich and intelligent musical universe." "Impressive improvisations from their original compositions. that moment when spontaneity and technical mastery merge into a singular soundscape is captured convincingly in the eponymous album of "In Common"." "An outstanding release of modern jazz that shows that progressive musical ideas don’t have to come at the cost of listenability." "On 'ACE', Stevens’ ultra-minimal, rock-steady guitar work, over Gilmore and Raghavan’s slowly thwacking beat, allow Smith and Ross to take beautifully expressive solos and also respond to each other in an extremely empathetic and collaborative manner." Walter Smith III ties all of this together on the saxophone, providing sweetness that makes this album sing." "Matthew Stevens alternates between giving the greatest backing on the guitar and taking the lead without running out too far ahead seemingly from moment to moment. The success of In Common's informal collaboration is in creating a work that is unmistakably alive and instinctive." "Striking improvisations from original compositional foundations. It’s simply a means to more lyrical ends, and folded into a model of interplay that suits the name of the band." "The hyperfluency among these players is never exploited for flash, or mistaken for the main point. The music is full of excellent ideas and some frequently wonderful playing." "The part composed, part improvised statements of “In Common” speak succinctly and elegantly. Gentle explorations executed without bravura but with no lack of technique." "An album with a clean and pure quality to it. "An unaffected and dynamic recording of succinct, in-the-moment canvases that exhibit an engaging contemporary style." "An inventive workout for a classy, likeminded and broadminded outfit." "An excellent debut for the quintet and a follow-up should be eagerly anticipated." "In Common conveys the shape and feel of traditional jazz while remaining harmonically untethered and melodically free. The success of In Common's informal collaboration is in creating a work that is unmistakeably alive and instinctive. Mysteriously striding ‘13th Floor’ contrasts with breezy ‘About 360’ and in tribute to the late Geri Allen, her ‘Unconditional Love’ is elegantly painted in new light. The offbeat, almost Bachian ground of ‘ACE’ becomes filled out by Smith’s rich tenor, while ‘Baron’ is buoyed by syncopated drums and lush, animated guitar. ‘YINZ’ – Pittsburgh’s version of ‘y’all’ - allows plenty of ducking and diving and levitational ‘foreword’ centers around a rich duet between Smith and Ross. Preceded by ‘freefive’, an improvised piece that captures the intangible moments that can arise between improvisers, Stevens’ ‘Unsung’ celebrates the overlooked in our society in a poignant song illuminated by Ross’s vibes. “The idea of simplicity downplayed individual ownership which was liberating.” The outcome is a collection of succinct, in-the-moment canvases that exhibit an engaging contemporary style. “Part of the basis for the project was to write relatively simple music," says Smith. “Walter and I had been talking about putting a recording session together" explains Stevens, “and decided to go into the studio with music that could be quickly interpreted with an interesting group of musicians and to let it unfold naturally from there.” The resulting sessions yielded an unaffected and dynamic recording by a group of peers sharing a mutual musical vocabulary. Behind that veiled moniker are the prominent names of tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matthew Stevens – and together with vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Marcus Gilmore, they fashion striking improvisations from original compositional foundations. The moment when spontaneity and technical expertise coalesce into a decidedly different soundscape is captured convincingly in this eponymous debut release from In Common.
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