I walked into the Firehouse 12 live room just as the Devron Douglas Quintent was starting to blow. And I mean it. These guys can blow. Nothing cute or weird, just cats with chops, swinging hard and fast. For some reason, the soundstage said it all. Sax and trumpet up front, piano at the back. Bass leaning against the curve of the Steinway concert grand. Drummer on the side facing across. Applause and hollers greeted the end of each solo. First song finished and I said "Damn that was fun."
They mixed it up after that, faster and slower. Bandleader Douglas on bass, introducting each song [Apology, Playground and more]. He was having fun, smiling and head-bobbing it was infectious. but it was that first song that set the tone. Trumpet and sax playing the theme together to begin and end the song. Lummie Spann impressed with every solo. Josh Evans with impossibly long fingers pressing valves impossibly fast. Curtis Torian unleashing waterfalls of sound from his drum kit, waves splashing across the room. David Bryant was perfect on piano, from lighting runs to Tyner-esque block chords. Devron Douglas played repetive drones and blazing fast runs.
Wow.
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