The Way Out of Easy [Live]

Sometimes extended improvisation carries with it an expectation of drama, where you think about what just happened and what might come next. This exceptional record fixes your attention on the present moment.

All four of these pieces revolve around a simple idea, with the band wringing every possible nuance from that primary platform. Although Johnson and Parker are exploratory, the vibe remains calm and within guardrails. Collectively, the four are the musical equivalent of a fresh shower. The listener emerges renewed.

Throughout, the ETA IVtet revel in the unpredictability of improvisation, switching energies but never rushing to find the next moment. The Way Out of Easy is testament to the power of live jazz – a mercurial form that captivates when in the right hands.

Recorded in a single night, this light-touch meld of jazz, ambient, post-rock and hip-hop sensibilities find its players intertwined like tangled wires. [Jan 2025, p.82]

The Way Out of Easy equals its predecessor, but it also extends the quartet's musical vocabulary and sonic identity. While they may not be able to play ETA any longer, their musical signature and group communication prove they can make magic anywhere.