For those not in the know, Kris Davis is a Grammy award-winning pianist and composer described by The New York Times as a beacon for “deciding where to hear jazz on a given night.”

Indeed, Davis has released 25 recordings as a leader or co-leader and collaborated with artists such as Dave Holland, Terri Lyne Carrington, John Zorn, Craig Taborn, Ingrid Laubrock, Julian Lage, Tyshawn Sorey and Esperanza Spalding.

She was named a 2021 Doris Duke Artist alongside Wayne Shorter and Danilo Perez, Pianist of the Year by DownBeat magazine in 2022 and 2020, and Pianist and Composer of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2021.

Davis is also the Associate Program Director of Creative Development at the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and the founder of Pyroclastic Records. Davis is a Steinway Artist.

Run the Gauntlet (out September 27th, 2024, via Pyroclastic Records), the new album from Kris Davis, features bassist Robert Hurst (known for his work with Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, Geri Allen) and drummer Johnathan Blake (known for his work with Kenny Barron, Dave Holland, Tom Harrell).

The album skillfully blends structured compositions with spontaneous improvisation, showcasing Davis’ unique position in the jazz world as a leader who unites diverse talents.

1. Run the Gauntlet
2. Softly, As You Wake
3. First Steps
4. Little Footsteps
5. Heavy-Footed
6. Beauty Beneath the Rubble
7. Meditation
8. Knotweed
9. Coda Queen
10. Dream State
11. Subtones

The new recording, whose title serves as a metaphor for overcoming a series of challenges to achieve one’s goals, opens on the playfully organic title track Run the Gauntlet and an aching yearn that threads through the dulcet Softly, As You Wake, and then we get the pensively furtive First Steps, the confidently sculpted Little Footsteps and the defined elegance of Heavy-Footed.

On a project where Davis pays homage to six trailblazing women pianists who have left an indelible mark on her journey as a pianist and composer, along next is the veritably shimmering Beauty Beneath the Rubble and the aptly-titled stillness of Meditation, and they are in turn backed by the shrewd skedaddle of Knotweed, the stylish flare within Coda Queen, the album rounding out on a decidedly lush glisten that covers Dream State, closing on the engaging Subtones.

Musicians:
Kris Davis, piano
Robert Hurst, bass
Johnathan Blake, drums

www.krisdavis.net

Kris Davis @ Instagram