Hailing from Regina Saskatchewan but now calling Toronto his home,
drummer and composer Chris Wallace leads a stellar quartet of musicians
creatively playing tried tested and true standards to an attentive audience at
the Pilot Tavern.
From the get go, the ensemble of Wallace, bassist Ross MacIntyre,
pianist Adrean Farrugia and saxophonist David French takes on the classic
material with such poise and aplomb that it really sounds like they are a
working unit going on for a few years (Wallace moved to Toronto in late
2013).
By the time I came in, they did a rousing, blues number called Whims
of Chambers that swung, is full of energy, and a piano solo by Adrean that is
full of life, intensity and energy that he had at one point ran out of notes to
fully express what he was conveying.
After the hotness of the blues, things cooled down with Sam River’s
“Beatrice”, delivered romantically and textually by saxophonist David French
with ample support from the fellow musicians.
The first set ended with two of Monk’s enduring compositions,
“Rhythm a Ning” and “Think of One”.
The former brought back the intense swing and finesse displayed
throughout the group while the latter took Monk’s tune and did a nice Latin
arrangement to the piece. It really
shows that Monk’s enduring compositions and music can be easily adaptable and
interpreted in many ways, a mark of sheer brilliance and timelessness. The quartet simply added to this legacy
through its respect and inventiveness of the Monk tunes.
The rhythm tandem of Chris and Ross was very solid, in the pocket,
and at times very creative and tempo bending at times. Chris is a very creative drummer with a lot
of colours and touches with his drum kit, and Ross is a reliable bass player
who keeps times with some touches of creativity thrown in.
In all respects, a nice way to spend a casual Saturday afternoon at
a great listening spot in Toronto.
OFFICIAL CHRIS WALLACE WEB SITE
(From Left: Adrean Farrugia, Ross Macintyre, Chris Wallace, and David French)
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