"a gear-shifting original that neatly communicates Batiste's reverence for Thelonious Monk" . - WBGO

"with an adventurously spritely and subtly avant-garde brand of sonorous jazz… ‘Anatomy of Angels' has Batiste summoning the ghosts of heroes (Coltrane, Monk) and old friends (friend-trumpeter Roy Hargrove who passed last autumn) with no edits or retakes." - Variety

"Batiste's septet is rough-riding through a propellant, two-chord vamp…this Batiste original works as a showcase for the young alto saxophonist...metabolizing frustration into release." - The New York Times

The inimitable musician and bandleader, Jon Batiste, sets to release Chronology Of A Dream: Live At The Village Vanguard on November 1. Recorded during his six-night residency in the fall of 2018, the live album is a follow up to his recent critically acclaimed release, Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard, and is part two of the two-part series.  You can listen to the first single "HIGHER" and pre-order the album here.

Anatomy of Angels and Chronology of a Dream are two sides of the same coin. Batiste explains, "My compositions on Chronology focus on thematic development within short form structures with memorable melodic themes, while Angels focuses on thematic development within longer form structures that are built for deconstruction, never to be played the same way twice."

Writer David Fricke says in the liner notes, "Dream glows and shakes with its own contagious retrospect, still facing forward: the pianist summoning the Great Spirits of mid-Sixties soul-jazz – Les McCann, Bobby Timmons, Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley – to a party that starts in high gear and keeps jumping to joy."

On the collection Batiste says "Just as Duke Ellington composed music for his specific band members, my compositions here are tailored to how the band members and I play together." Listen to cuts like "PRINCE," or "BLACCK," and you will hear this bands unique brand of interplay.

Batiste's band includes some of the most exceptional young instrumentalists currently at work on the scene today. In varying combinations, they include trumpeter Giveton Gelin, alto saxophonist Patrick Bartley, tenor saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, percussionist Nêgah Santos, guitarist Louis Cato and tuba/trumpet player Jon Lampley, anchored by Batiste's long-time trio of bassist Phil Kuehn, and drummer Joe Saylor.

At the heart of Chronology of a Dream is the tragic passing of jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, who died suddenly on the opening night of the residency on November 2. Hargrove was a friend and mentor of Batiste's and the night of his passing they paid tribute with a performance of a little-known composition of Hargrove's "SOULFUL." The composition finally gets its official release here, with trumpet duties deftly handled by Giveton Gelin, a Hargrove mentee. What's more, the spirited performance is book-ended by two special pieces of spoken-word: a track called "STORY," and then, to close the next cut, "ORDR."

The recording showcases his eminence as a composer, bandleader, and pianist, while also giving the listener an invitation to Batiste's concept of "celestial jazz." Giving us a window into the future of where the music is going, and more importantly, where it could go.

"I'm honored to record some of my latest compositions with a band of young lions and play our hearts out in one of the world's most legendary venues." Says Batiste of the overall project. "This album, serving as part two of Anatomy Of Angels, is rooted in the sounds of black American music and classic jazz. May the circle be unbroken."

Most recently Batiste and his band Stay Human were announced to perform at the Global Citizen Festival in New York City's Central Park Great Lawn on Saturday, September 28th.  Additionally, he is set to appear on AOL Build and WNYC's All Of It today, September 20.

Source: Crossovermedia.net