Dayna Stephens - Peace

There are a couple of classic accepted views of a true jazz musician. One can either be the far out hipster with ideas spewing from the horn in a torrent, one more quickly than another, or there is the laconic, dark shade wearing outsider who remains disenchanted and plays in a subdued cool mood. Truth be told, the real heavyweights are those who have a bit of both: the bite and the breeze, the ballistics and the ballads.

Saxophonist Dayna Stephens fits this description beautifully. He has developed into one of the most important saxophone stylists playing today. Stephens s lush tone on tenor, soprano, and baritone saxophones has led to his involvement with musicians of legendary status and those of the scene nouveau, from Al Foster and Kenny Barron to Taylor Eigsti and Ambrose Akinmusire.

For his new recording, Peace, Stephens focuses on interpreting intimate and heartfelt compositions that harken to the major ballad players, like Lester Young, Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon. But Stephens s inspirations go a step further. The ballad singing of vocalist Luther Vandross has always haunted the saxophonist and influenced his sound on ballads (especially on the horn that most closely parallels Stephens s own voice, the baritone), not to mention the undeniable inspiration garnered from balladeers Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

Stephens is fortunate to feature another one of his influences on Peace, the fantastic pianist Brad Mehldau. Having been knocked out by the pianist nearly twenty years earlier based on his exceptional musicality, Stephens met Mehldau at a performance in New York s Smalls Jazz Club, where Mehldau remarked on how much he enjoyed Stephens s baritone playing. It felt right asking Mehldau to be a part of this project, as his ballad playing is especially remarkable.

The idea to create a recording highlighting Stephens s ballad and baritone sax playing had been formed quite a while ago, by Stephens and producer Matt Pierson. Pierson s influence was instrumental in helping to shape the album and smooth the recording process, evolving their concept into this balanced recording of soulful pieces featuring Stephens on tenor, soprano, and baritone. Together Stephens and Pierson selected tunes and personnel, developing a program of varied yet attractive pieces expertly played and fantastically recorded in the inspiring environs of The Clubhouse recording studio in Rhinebeck, New York.

The musicians selected to fill out the ensemble are the leading lights on their respective instruments. Wunderkind guitarist Julian Lage has been an inspiration and beloved collaborator of Stephens since the guitarist was an awe-inspiring teenager. Mehldau introduced Stephens to bassist Larry Grenadier, whose rock solid, supportive pulse and warm, woody sound were already well respected by Stephens. Drummer Eric Harland has been an important collaborator with Stephens since the saxophonist s first recording and continues to astound with his organic approach with space and textures, performing with Mehldau for his first time.