Recording: A Ryan Driver Quintet

Artist: A Ryan Driver Quintet

Songs: I Walk a Little Faster [composed by Carolyn Leigh/Cy Coleman] + I Never Knew [composed by Stephen Parkinson/Ryan Driver]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 26, 2014.

A Ryan Driver Quintet - I Walk a Little Faster

A Ryan Driver Quintet - I Never Knew

The indefinite article in the band's name in the listing for this Boxing Day Special was an indicator that this was not the usual version of Ryan Driver's Quintet/Sextet. The special guest on the night was Stephen Parkinson (composer of the tunes on the band's album) on melodica, sitting in for guitarist Martin Arnold. And even though he was playing it through a wah pedal, Parkinson smartly made no attempt to replicate the mildly destabilizing tendrils that Martin's guitar brings, settling instead for an additional air of languidly yearning ambiance to complement Michael Davidson's vibes as well as Rob Clutton's bass and Driver's piano. (The slight squeak that can be heard in the first track here is an artifact of a creaky hi-hat pedal in Blake Howard's drum kit.)

[The Ryan Driver Sextet will be taking its regular turn at The Tranzac on Friday, January 30th, but Driver has several other cool gigs coming up in the interim, including a "Piano Party" with Jonathan Adjemian at the Tranzac on January 20th, a date at Wavelenth's pop-up gallery at Huntclub Studio alongside Lina Allemano, Rob Clutton and Jason Sharpe on the 25th and a Tranzac date with the Josh Cole Quartet on Wednesday the 26th.]