Last week, another Strickland made his debut.

Enoch Jamal Strickland, better known as "E.J." Strickland, has made his name as a drummer for notables that include Freddie Hubbard, Lizz Wright and Cassandra Wilson, as well as serving in Russell Malone's band for five years. He's also played for his twin brother, Marcus Strickland, who has acquitted himself well on Dave Douglas' recent Keystone albums. Marcus got a eight year head start on his brother, making records under his name since 2001, and now it's E.J.'s turn.

His approach to the drum kit reflects a mature, sophisticated understanding of the role of the drums to music in general and jazz in particular. There isn't isn't all this showboating you might hear from some drummer's records, but his presence is clearly felt. Strickland is exceptional at creating an envelope of cymbals that caresses a song, not suffocates it. He's also got Elvin Jones' sublimely subtle polyrhythms absolutely nailed.

As a composer, E.J. gives distinct character to each song. liberally mixing in everything from modern jazz and post-bop to fusion and even some R&B overtones, all in differing degrees for each song. So, even though "Abandoned Discovery" makes use of Luis Perdomo's electric piano, much like Miles Davis' Filles De Kilimanjaro, it remains primarily in the advanced bop realm. Hans Glawischnig combines with Strickland to fashion a rumbling, unstoppable rhythm that the horn line of Marcus and altoist Jaleel Shaw easily glide over.

Extra percussion is added courtesy of Pedro Martinez for "Asante (For The Tribes Of Ghana)," where Perdomo's piano adds a dulcet coat over a busy, African syncopation. That's before Shaw and Marcus Strickland engage in some lively jousting. The African beasts also pervade in "New Beginnings," where the pretty main melody runs in half the time of the beat.

And then there's the majestic, Coltranian prance "Eternal", preceded by spoken poetry by Cheray "Mama Zun" O'Neal, and graced with some impassioned solos by Jaleel and Marcus. E.J.'s kit work on this tune serves as a worthy tribute to the great Elvin. "In This Day" likewise begins with a poetic recital by Mama Zun. The song itself features Marcus' composed soprano sax and a penetrating bass solo by Glawischnig. Perdomo's piano improvisations are virtually perfect on this track.

Marcus' soprano sax appears again in the closing track "Robin Fly Away," an intricately constructed song, and is burnished by Perdomo's cozy Rhodes piano. "Angular Realms" exhibits Strickland's very advanced technique on both writing and performing fusion. It's a very shifty melody that moves from chord to chord by taking sharp corners. Guest guitarist David Gilmore tracks along the tricky lines with Shaw and later gives a vibrant solo that calls to mind Fareed Haque.

E.J. has given his talented band plenty of room to strut their stuff, and most of the time it feels like a group effort than a drummer's record. But there are a few times where the leader steps out front: the brief, percussion-only "Pedrito's Prelude" and some well-placed and fiery solos on "New Beginnings" and "Angular Realms."

With the issuance of In This Day, it's more than fair to say that E.J. set out to put his best foot forward. It's not from the foot of not a guy who bangs around on a kit, but of someone who composes songs of depth and meaning from behind one. Ravi Coltrane (son of you-know-who) provided the production, of which is hard to find any fault. Same goes for everything else about this record.
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An exceptional debut recording from drummer E.J. Strickland, In This Day showcases a resourceful, inventive and extremely cohesive young quintet.  The CD features saxophonists Marcus Strickland and Jaleel Shaw, who, performing like two heads of the same overachieving organism, help drive E.J.’s dark-hearted material with serpentine solos and brooding power.

A rising sideman who’s worked with Russell Malone, Freddie Hubbard and The New Jazz Composer’s Octet, among others, Strickland’s compositional skills are as impressive as his percolating drumming, which are as impressive as his percolating drumming, which almost takes a secondary role.  When his drumming is highlighted, as in the sparse solos of “New Beginnings” and “Angular Realms”, Strickland speaks with his own voice, conjured in the image of Tony Williams, Airto Moriera, Alphonse Mouzon and Horatio “El Negro” Hernandez.  Not purely a straightahead drummer, Strickland distills a variety of styles to propel equally diverse compositional influences.  

The Latin-esque fusion of “Angular Realms” is explosively improvisational, with blistering solos from Marcus Strickland and Wurlitzer whiz Luis Perdomo.  “New Beginnings” uses a throbbing, conga-driven mambo groove over which the saxophonists play a circular, tightly defined melody that resembles cars flowing in and out of traffic.  Far from a simple collection of tracks, In This Day is a unified and thoughtful work, the songs’ elegant trajectory creating a logical thematic progression, from heated straightahead opener “Abandoned Discovery” through simmering Latin and ballad moments to several spoken-word pieces that add a poetic touch.
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It’s not your prototypical drummer-led solo outing.  As a venerable jazz-based session ace, E.J. Strickland has graced recordings by saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and twin brother, saxophonist Marcus Strickland amid a five-year engagement with guitarist Russell Malone.  Yet here, the drummer asserts a broad musicality, featuring his quintet and complemented by Cheray O’Neals spoken word and Chareree Wade’s vocals on select tracks.

Strickland glides, floats and sizzles during these largely, up-tempo progressive jazz pieces that are engineered upon memorable themes.  With special guests, percussionist Pedro Martinez and saxophonist/percussionist Yosvany Terry among others, the band simply breezes through peppery Latin motifs, for example.  Moreover, Marcus Strickland’s fluidly stinging solos offer a razors-sharp edge within various passages, as the leader often steps up, then throttles back the various movements with polyrhythmic breaks and crisply executed dynamics.

Throughout these fourteen compositions, E.J. paints an optimistic slant, augmented by pianist Luis Perdomo and the articulate undercurrents set down by bassist Hans Glawischnig.  On “Angular Realms,” E.J. sparks remembrances of sax heroes Steve Coleman and Greg Osby’s M-Base sound, exercised on snappy grooves via a buoyant meshing of complex unison lines.  And in other spots, they weave intricate storylines into concise and airy bop mechanisms.  Overall, the leader’s first solo effort combines tasteful chops, alluring comps, and dazzling craftsmanship with an air of intrigue: it’s a program that beckons repeated listens.
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Last week, another Strickland made his debut.

Enoch Jamal Strickland, better known as "E.J." Strickland, has made his name as a drummer for notables that include Freddie Hubbard, Lizz Wright and Cassandra Wilson, as well as serving in Russell Malone's band for five years. He's also played for his twin brother, Marcus Strickland, who has acquitted himself well on Dave Douglas' recent Keystone albums. Marcus got a eight year head start on his brother, making records under his name since 2001, and now it's E.J.'s turn.

His approach to the drum kit reflects a mature, sophisticated understanding of the role of the drums to music in general and jazz in particular. There isn't isn't all this showboating you might hear from some drummer's records, but his presence is clearly felt. Strickland is exceptional at creating an envelope of cymbals that caresses a song, not suffocates it. He's also got Elvin Jones' sublimely subtle polyrhythms absolutely nailed.

As a composer, E.J. gives distinct character to each song. liberally mixing in everything from modern jazz and post-bop to fusion and even some R&B overtones, all in differing degrees for each song. So, even though "Abandoned Discovery" makes use of Luis Perdomo's electric piano, much like Miles Davis' Filles De Kilimanjaro, it remains primarily in the advanced bop realm. Hans Glawischnig combines with Strickland to fashion a rumbling, unstoppable rhythm that the horn line of Marcus and altoist Jaleel Shaw easily glide over.

Extra percussion is added courtesy of Pedro Martinez for "Asante (For The Tribes Of Ghana)," where Perdomo's piano adds a dulcet coat over a busy, African syncopation. That's before Shaw and Marcus Strickland engage in some lively jousting. The African beasts also pervade in "New Beginnings," where the pretty main melody runs in half the time of the beat.

And then there's the majestic, Coltranian prance "Eternal", preceded by spoken poetry by Charenee Wade, and graced with some impassioned solos by Jaleel and Marcus. E.J.'s kit work on this tune serves as a worthy tribute to the great Elvin. "In This Day" likewise begins with a poetic recital, this time by Cheray "Mama Zun" O'Neal. The song itself features Marcus' composed soprano sax and a penetrating bass solo by Glawischnig. Perdomo's piano improvisations are virtually perfect on this track.

Marcus' soprano sax appears again in the closing track "Robin Fly Away," an intricately constructed song, and is burnished by Perdomo's cozy Rhodes piano. "Angular Realms" exhibits Strickland's very advanced technique on both writing and performing fusion. It's a very shifty melody that moves from chord to chord by taking sharp corners. Guest guitarist David Gilmore tracks along the tricky lines with Shaw and later gives a vibrant solo that calls to mind Fareed Haque.

E.J. has given his talented band plenty of room to strut their stuff, and most of the time it feels like a group effort than a drummer's record. But there are a few times where the leader steps out front: the brief, percussion-only "Pedrito's Prelude" and some well-placed and fiery solos on "New Beginnings" and "Angular Realms."

With the issuance of In This Day, it's more than fair to say that E.J. set out to put his best foot forward. It's not from the foot of not a guy who bangs around on a kit, but of someone who composes songs of depth and meaning from behind one. Ravi Coltrane (son of you-know-who) provided the production, of which is hard to find any fault. Same goes for everything else about this record.

In This Day is the third release by the three-year-old jazz label Strick Muzik.
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