Miller Stretches Out In Sextet Format

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

When listeners tell me that a contemporary band reminds them of a classic 1960s Blue Note album, they’re usually talking about the fundamentally catchy, blues-driven hard bop of such label stalwarts as Art Blakey and Horace Silver. But they could be talking about the pianist Mulgrew Miller and his sextet, called Wingspan, which evokes the more experimental yet no less essential Blue Note albums of Andrew Hill, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, and, at times, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Wingspan, which is in residence this week at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, illustrates the more intellectual side of that music — not that it’s any less emotional or swinging.

Most jazz ensembles feature horns as a front line, plus a rhythm section, the latter of which, in Wingspan, is comprised of the bassist Ivan Taylor and the drummer Ulysses Owens. Yet the way Wingspan is set up, both Mr. Miller and the vibraphonist Steve Nelson (a member of the band since its inception in 1987), move easily between the foreground and the background, constituting a sort of third section that’s in both places at the same time. The presence of Mr. Nelson’s vibes on both levels harks back to the many ’60s Blue Note records that used Mr. Hutcherson in the same way. The horns are the well-established saxophonist Steve Wilson (doubling on alto and soprano) and the younger Duane Eubanks on trumpet.

On opening night at Dizzy’s, the group’s late show began with what seemed like an unconventional blues, entitled “Return Trip,” and wound up with a Monkish, more traditional blues that could have been a paraphrase of “Blue Monk.” When I last heard Mr. Miller, with his trio at the Village Vanguard three years ago, his playing, for all of its rhythmic strengths, seemed incredibly dense, as if he were playing more than the human ear could possibly absorb. There’s less sonic space open to him in the current sextet, and accordingly, he plays with a lighter touch, leaving more room not only in the full ensemble, but in his solos, when he essentially has only the bass and drums behind him.

Likewise, Mr. Eubanks has matured as a player during his years with Mr. Miller. Good thing, because he faces considerable competition, not only from the scores of excellent neo-bop-style trumpeters out there, but from his own family (he is the younger brother of the celebrated guitarist Kevin Eubanks and the trombonist Robin Eubanks), and even from this band, in which it must be a challenge to keep up with such industrial-strength improvisers as Messrs. Nelson and Wilson. But Mr. Eubanks shined throughout; he is developing a sound that is at once unique and also somewhat reminiscent of the late Kenny Dorham. Mr. Eubanks was given the only solo feature of the late set, “What’s New” (a standard originally written as a showcase for the trumpeter Billy Butterfield).

The set’s other standard was “You and the Night and the Music.” Mr. Miller launched it with both stride piano and Tatumesque arpeggios to introduce the melody, which was split between Messrs. Eubanks and Wilson, playing the bridge. Mr. Wilson also played particularly well on soprano on “Farewell to Dogma,” contributing to a tropical groove that was in stark contrast to Mr. Miller’s introduction, a canny solo statement that led us all to think we were headed for a Gospel number.

“Farewell to Dogma” is also heard, but in a trio version, on Mr. Miller’s latest album, “Live at the Kennedy Center, Volume Two,” the second group of performances released from a 2002 concert in Washington, D.C. Released a few months ago, it is Mr. Miller’s fifth album for the St. Louis-based Max-Jazz Records label, almost all of which are also live recordings. The major exception is “The Sequel,” which is Mr. Miller’s only studio album for the company, as well as the only one to feature the Wingspan sextet. “The Sequel” (also recorded in 2002) was only the third album by the group, which is a trifle on the meager side for a band that’s been around for 20 years. Judging by the way Wingspan was playing on Tuesday night, it’s time for a sequel to “The Sequel.”

wfriedwald@nysun.com


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use