Cyrus Chestnut
's 2016 effort, the superb
Natural Essence
, benefitted greatly from his pairing with the duo of bassist
Buster Williams
and drummer
Lenny White
. Thankfully, the pianist has followed up with another engaging set featuring the same veteran luminaries. An adept virtuoso talent,
Chestnut
soars alongside
Williams
and
White
on 2017's
There's a Sweet Sweet Spirit
. Elder jazz statesmen,
have decades of experience under their hats with credits for such legends as
Herbie Hancock
,
Freddie Hubbard
Art Blakey
Woody Shaw
, and many others. Similarly,
has worked with such luminaries as
Terence Blanchard
Betty Carter
Wynton Marsalis
, and more. While all of his albums are worth checking out, there is something inspired and kinetic about his playing with
, as if they are all three pushing each other to discover new avenues of expression. Joining them this time on several tracks is yet another volcanic talent in vibraphonist
Steve Nelson
. Though he only appears on three cuts, his warm harmonic resonance contrasts beautifully with
's as they dig into an expansive late-'60s jazz sound on two of vibraphonist
Bobby Hutcherson
's best-known compositions, "Little B's Poem" and "The Littlest One of All." Away from
Nelson
displays his genre-bending skills on "Chopin Prelude," transfiguring the classical piece first with a cubist
Thelonious Monk
-style intro and later with a swinging
Ellington
ian mid-section. Similarly compelling are the group's muscular and exotic take on
Miles Davis
' "Nardis" and a spritely reading of
' "Christina." Elsewhere, they deliver a languid and romantic take on
the Stylistics
' 1973 classic "You Make Me Feel Brand New," and dive headlong into the pianist's own Latin-infused "CDC." Ultimately, if there's one overriding sentiment that drives all of
, it's
and his band's spirit of soulful camaraderie. ~ Matt Collar