LAFAYETTE GILCHRIST & THE NEW VOLCANOES
Soul Progressin’
"…the heir to Thelonious Monk.” – Entertainment Weekly
“Imagine pianist Billy Preston in the FBI witness protection program; he hides out in the Washington, D.C., go-go scene and then the jazz underground; he invents an unlikely pseudonym to go with his new style: a sort of twisted, funky, neo-juke-joint avant-gut-bucket." - Detroit Metro Times
“…it's Gilchrist’s cussed willingness to continually put a Baltimore-centric stamp on jazz that has made him the city's most respected pianist.” – Baltimore City Paper
There’s good reason why jazz fans and critics alike are so excited about Lafayette Gilchrist. The young Baltimore-based pianist hit the scene hard with his debut, The Music According To Lafayette Gilchrist, and went straight to earning raves for his sophomore release, Towards The Shining Path. Emerging from jazz legend David Murray’s Black Saint Quartet, a group in which he still plays to this day, Gilchrist has an approach and presence that’s drawn comparisons to royalty such as Andrew Hill and Sun Ra.
With his own band The New Volcanoes, Gilchrist leads an octet that's equally inspired by D.C. go-go, old school soul, hard funk and progressive hip-hop. Introduced to Hyena Records by the iconic guitarist Vernon Reid, Gilchrist is set to release his fourth album, Soul Progressin', with the acclaimed indie label on September 9. The pianist has this to say about his latest recording: "Soul Progressin’" is a rediscovery in the sense of what was and is still the most essential part of my offering. Soul Power. Its roots are endless and wondrous. Its future is undeniable. So we just want to celebrate about it a bit.”
After the release of Lafayette Gilchrist’s trio record, Three, in 2007, he returned to the studio with his working band, The New Volcanoes. In addition to Gilchrist on piano, the octet features John Dieker (tenor saxophone and clarinet), Gregory L. Thompkins (tenor saxophone), Gabriel Ware (alto saxophone), Mike Cerri (trumpet), Freddy Dunn (trumpet), Anthony “Blue” Jenkins (electric bass) and Nathan Reynolds (drums). What’s strikingly apparent upon first listen to Soul Progressin’ is the truly original ensemble sound the pianist and his group have created. Gilchrist has spent more than half a decade working with this particular combination of musicians. Through the process he has refined his compositional vision for the configuration. While a wholly focused affair in its sum, within the albums various pieces, Gilchrist explores a wide range of moods and textures. Soul Progressin’ is ultimately a record that will further heighten Gilchrist’s reputation as new modern visionary in jazz and, for that matter, progressive American music in the broader scope.
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