Bright Dawn

Few bassists in modern jazz speak with the authority, warmth and emotional candor that Harvie S does. On Bright Dawn, he provides a beautifully-measured
reminder of why he remains one of the instrument's most eloquent modern voices. This isn't merely a leader date but a carefully-curated ensemble statement,
with the bassist and his drummer Matt Wilson as its only constants. Guitarist Peter Bernstein and pianist/Fender Rhodes player Miki Hayama appear in shifting
trio and quartet settings, giving the album a subtle but unmistakable structural grace and uncommon balance.

That design is essential. The music transitions smoothly from track to track, and Harvie S knows precisely how to let the evolving textures express themselves. "Ghosts of Havana", one of the three quartet performances, opens the program with a soft Afro-Caribbean undertow, its pulse suggestive rather than explicit.
Hayama's Fender Rhodes and Bernstein's versatile guitar playing add color without overwhelming the line, while Harvie S confirms that he is a bassist full of creative twists. The other quartet tracks are "The Truth" and "Voice in the Sky". The former begins and ends with the bassist's beautifully executed, deeply lyrical arco work. Bernstein and pianist Hayama's contributions add more edge and sharper contours to the performance. For the latter selection, the leader is again center stage, his plucking full-bodied and expressive in a reading that remains in a spacious, almost hymn-like calm.

The two outside selections are inspired choices: Bob Dorough's "Devil May Care", heard as a lean guitar trio, features the bassist setting the scene with an
extended solo intro that covers the melody before Bernstein swings in with dry wit and seasoned ease. The guitarist's understated playing is even more persuasive for never trying too hard. Harvie S closes things out with a determined, fluid bass line. Chick Corea's "Humpty Dumpty", here in a piano trio guise, includes Hayama capturing its asymmetrical charm with a silky solo. The bassist works hard to keep the number buoyant, never allowing cleverness to turn into calculation.

Throughout, Harvie S' bass is more than just a foundation; it embodies the music's voice: grounded, melodic, rhythmically attentive and deeply sensitive to form and emotion. Wilson listens superbly, Bernstein remains characteristically graceful in his note selection and overall performance, and Hayama offers harmonic
elegance of the highest caliber. Bright Dawn reveals itself to be a mature, beautifully paced jazz album. It is lyrical, exploratory and quietly sophisticated, unmistakably the work of a master who continues to deepen his craft.