Saxophonist Dayna Stephens dubbed his latest album Liberty for several reasons. He wanted to play around with implied harmonies, so he composed for a trio sans piano or guitar. He also wanted to make a broad statement about the inter-relatedness of humanity, so his compositions allude to freedom as the most basic of human rights. And he wanted to celebrate his personal delivery from the burdens of thrice-weekly dialysis, the necessary treatment for the rare form of kidney disease that had overshadowed his career for several years.
This album, his ninth as a leader, flows thematically from Gratitude, his 2017 thank-you to those who had helped him weather this severe illness. (He launched both records through his own recently hatched imprint, Contagious Music.) On these releases, the charismatic melodicism of Stephens’ solos commands most of the focus, all the more captivating for the high-wattage players alongside him (pianist Brad Mehldau, guitarist Julian Lage, and bassist Larry Grenadier on Gratitude, for instance).
But on Liberty, Stephens introduces rhythmic variations that serve to enhance his melodic assertions; with bassist Ben Street and Gratitude drummer Eric Harland riding shotgun, you’d be hard-pressed to notice the unvoiced chords. Many of them are well known, anyway: Stephens based his compositions “Kwooked Stweet” and “Faith Leap” on John Coltrane’s “Straight Street” and “Giant Steps,” respectively, and “Loosy Goosy” is a spirited gambol through the rhythm changes.
On other tunes, like “Rhyming History” and “The Lost and Found,” though, Stephens sinks into a closed-eye pulse with his sidemen, harmonic considerations (implied or otherwise) set aside momentarily as he stretches into the feel of his instrument. The listener is left to follow where such freedom leads.
Tracks: Ran, Faith Leap, Kwooked Stweet, The Lost and Found, At Least 37th Cousins, Loosy Goosy, Tarifa, Rhyming History, Planting Flowers, The Sound Goddess, Wil’s Way (55:30)
Personnel: Dayna Stephens, saxophones; Ben Street, bass; Eric Harland, drums
(Reprinted from the April 2020 issue of Downbeat magazine)