Hot off the release of their new live album The Way Out of Easy, guitar wonder Jeff Parker brought the ETA IVtet to Brooklyn for a pair of sets on Monday night at the intimate and groovy Public Records and slowly the group unraveled a selection of tunes that were full of ambient vibrations, stirring rhythms, and complex grooves that had the crowd reeling with excitement. Crammed onstage, the stand-up bass and drums took to the back while Parker and alto saxophonist Josh Johnson took over the reigns and led the band through hoops of weightless and kinetic jazz, rich with energy and sustained with webs of intricate and detailed feelings. Finding melodies amongst bustling and jumbled arrays of sound, the night moved like a serpent, the group twisting and winding their way around the arrangements with delicate purpose and esteemed confidence, each member steadily holding the show together like a balancing act, everyone showcasing their talent and role with ease and apparent joy. While Parker was the obvious lead here, Johnson had great strides of brilliance throughout the night as well as he sat above an elaborate pedal board that allowed his saxophone to shape shift and form sounds beyond imagination, creating something totally spectacular while Parker would launch into looping solos to give balance to each number. Not ones to fade into the background, bassist Anna Butterss was poised and collected, holding root of each song as the band members around her distorted their sounds and criss-crossed with dazzling techniques all while drummer Jay Bellerose paraded around his drum kits with elastic grooves that fell together like collected chaos. Watching the quartet find their grooves and harness their energy in such a tight space was spellbinding and the crowd couldn't wait to erupt with applause at any moment when it seemed like a jam might come to an end. Towards the end of one number, Bellerose scrapped his wire brushes over the head of his snare drum, twisting and turning them in a white-knuckle grip that gave way to a bristling and textured sound that was captivating beyond measure and enhanced the sound of the song coming apart at the seams, a remarkable moment in a set filled to the brim with musical magic. Butterss struck a kindling like note that sparked a final hurrah as the audience began to cheer while Parker began to weave one last tune and Johnson stepped-in with his electrify riffs that had the crowd letting loose to being the night to a close, everyone on stage getting one last victory lap before their final bow. Parker has been receiving much more praise and attention as of late, all of which is well deserved, and he's become a leading figure in jazz guitar work, lending his name to countless artists and appearing on more records than most can listen to in a give year, and yet even at his most daring and adventurous, his work always remains inviting and warm. On stage with the ETA IVtet, the vibes are laid-back, but never too spaced-out and always in the zone. In this setting the group is relaxed, yet still charged with energy that pours out of their fingertips throughout the set and their ability to move between playful jams and meditative moods is enthralling to watch.
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