Playing By Ear

EDITORIAL REVIEWS


JORDAN WILLIAMS'S "PLAYING BY EAR" MARRIES SPONTANEOUS CREATIVITY AND MASTERFUL INTERPLAY WITH RONEY JR., REEVES & WATTS.
There's an effortless authenticity at the heart of "Playing By Ear", Jordan Williams's debut as a leader on Milan's legendary Red Records. The title isn't just decorative--it signals a commitment to spontaneity, intuitive listening, and emotional truth that unites every note and phrase.
Born in 1996, Williams has swiftly earned his place among the East Coast's rising pianists. His playing marries Herbie Hancock's melodic fluidity with Mulgrew Miller's rhythmic finesse, all refracted through a fresh, modern sensibility. For this first record, he assembled a cross-generational quartet whose collective voice bridges tradition and innovation.
Trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr. strikes a compelling balance between honoring his father's Miles Davis-inspired legacy and forging his own path through timbral exploration. Standing firm at the album's core, bassist Nat Reeves draws on decades alongside Jackie McLean and Eric Alexander, his poised, authoritative lines grounding the group's freer impulses. And Jeff "Tain" Watts--perpetually unpredictable--injects every track with dynamic tension, propelling the music forward with asymmetrical grooves and bursts of fiery abandon that keep his bandmates--and listeners--fully alive.
Repertoire blends two Reeves originals with six inspired reinterpretations: Horace Silver's Peace, Kenny Garrett's Ms. Baja, Buster Williams's Tayamisha, plus Williams's own stride-inflected homage to Fats Waller. Each selection underscores a continuum of jazz evolution, rooting Williams's forward gaze in generations of change and revolution.
"Playing By Ear" is a confident, courageous statement: a vital debut that honors the African American idiom's deep roots even as it carves out new territory. Williams emerges not only as a consummate accompanist and soloist but as an artist poised for remarkable growth. Here, emotion trumps formula, and every performance feels like destiny unfolding in real time.


TRACK LISTING

* One Finger Snap
* Waltz for Ellis
* Steepian Faith
* Blue Ridge
* Tayamisha
* Peace
* Ms. Baja
* Left Alone

1: One Finger Snap
2: Waltz for Ellis
3: Steepian Faith
4: Blue Ridge
5: Tayamisha
6: Peace
7: Ms. Baja
8: Left Alone

Number of Discs: 1

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