With 2023's
Continuance,
Joey Alexander furthers the sonic experimentation he embraced with 2022's
Origin. A prodigy discovered at age ten, the Indonesian-born pianist has only grown more impressive as he has matured. Just 20 years old at the time of this album's recording,
Alexander has developed into a nuanced soloist and composer whose style evokes the blend of his influences, from
Bill Evans to
Herbie Hancock and
Chick Corea. However, rather than simply coming off like a precocious young lion, on
Continuance Alexander reveals himself to be an assured stylist in his own right. These are harmonically sophisticated recordings, peppered with swinging funk and soul vibes that nicely balance his own improvisatory explorations with empathetic, groove-oriented band interplay. They also find him moving beyond just the piano and weaving Fender Rhodes and even Mellotron into the mix. He's also able to hold his own against slightly older players. Whereas
Origin found him joined by saxophonist
Chris Potter, here he communes with trumpeter
Theo Croker whose
Woody Shaw-esque, funk-jazz-informed style is a perfect foil for
Alexander. Joining them are equally adept rhythm section associates in bassist
Kris Funn (a longtime member of trumpeter
Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah's band) and drummer
John Davis (who has played with everyone from
Ben Williams and
Marcus Strickland to
Leslie Odom, Jr.). Together, they settle into the opening "Blue," a kinetic number driven by
Davis and
Funn's propulsive rat-a-tat rhythm over which
Alexander and
Croker take spiraling, bluesy solos. Equally engaging is "Hear Me Now," in which
Alexander contrasts a classical-influenced piano introduction with spacey Mellotron accents before
Croker adds his own moody textures. We also get "Zealousy," with its sun-dappled Fender Rhodes atmosphere bringing to mind
Head Hunters-era
Herbie Hancock. There's a stylistically open-minded quality to much of the album, and
Alexander's songs have a nice balance of acoustic modal jazz, '70s fusion, and the more hip-hop-informed aspects you find with many of his contemporaries like
Croker. It's a genre-open aesthetic that he seems to underline with his choice of covers, including a soulful trio reading of
Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" and a gospel-inflected rendition of the hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." ~ Matt Collar