Steve Million: Perfectly Spaced
Calligram Records

An exceptionally strong rapport is evident between Steve Million and his three cohorts on Perfectly Spaced. In two cases it's easily explained: the Missouri-born, Chicago-based jazz pianist has partnered with bassist Eric Hochberg in an ongoing trio gig for seventeen years at the downtown restaurant Catch 35; one of the artists who joined them in the rotating third chair was violinist Mark Feldman, and the connection was so immediate he and Million began meeting regularly to play together. It was, in fact, the disarmingly sweet coupling of violin and piano that inspired the pianist to form the outfit on Perfectly Spaced. The critical fourth component is drummer Bob Rummage, whose playing with the late saxophonist Mark Colby impressed Million and suggested he'd be the perfect fit for the quartet. A series of stellar live performances convinced him that the ensemble's chemistry needed to be documented, and here we are.

Whereas Million's called Chicago home since 1988, Feldman's a more recent addition, but the violinist plays as if he's been in the pianist's company for ages. On the album sleeve, Million calls him “an absolute beast in the studio” and says he “went well above and beyond the call of duty to get to the heart of this music.” The results support such effusive praise as Perfectly Spaced would be nowhere near the recording it is without him. Decades of playing in a multitude of contexts has seen Feldman become the incredibly versatile musician he is, and his playing on the quartet date shows him responding superbly to every stylistic curve ball. That Perfectly Spaced is Million's gig, however, is intimated by the fact that eight of the nine compositions are by him, the ninth a Bill Evans cover. As generous as he is in featuring his bandmates, Million's the one calling the shots.

Speaking of Evans, the title track opens with pensive piano chords the legend himself might have voiced, though the landscape changes the moment the others enter. A characteristically lyrical statement by Million leads the way, with the pianist receiving empathetic support from Hochberg and Rummage. The two drive the performance terrifically without overpowering the leader and elevate the music grandly. Feldman's entrance imbues the performance with a Grappelli-esque quality and intensifies the swing factor with an agile solo. Hochberg makes the most of his moment in the spotlight too before the theme returns to neatly close the circle.

Compositionally, the material ranges widely, with one tune written in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting (“Tortured Moon”) and another composed after the Buddhist funeral ceremony of his Japanese father-in-law (“River Wide”). While “The Mirror” evokes Argentina in its incorporation of tango rhythms, the boppish “Onjeeh” references Joe Henderson by way of the saxophonist's “Inner Urge.” On this rewarding programme, there is sadness but also joy. Highlights? The mournful cry of Feldman's violin in the dramatic showstopper “Tortured Moon” and its eventual foray into blues-tinged swing, as well as the irresistible charm of the infectiously rousing “Ditty Do Wah” and panoramic scope of “River Wide.” Feldman and Million conclude the album with a lovely duet rendition of Evans' “Time Remembered,” the engrossing treatment one final reminder of their connection.

February 2024