Ethan Iverson has been busy since his departure from The Bad Plus in 2017: working with peers like Mark Turner and elders like Tom Harrell; teaching at the New England Conservatory; writing for the New Yorker as well as his long-running blog, Do the Math.
And this past Feb. 11, he marked two noteworthy occasions: his 49th birthday, and the release of his his Blue Note Records debut, Every Note Is True.
The trio on Every Note is True features Larry Grenadier on bass and an NEA Jazz Master, Jack DeJohnette, on drums. This terrific album is very personal in that most of the tunes are inspired by people who’ve had an influence on Ethan. It opens with a song that he co-wrote with his wife, Sarah Deming, “The More It Changes.” The album title is a line taken from that tune.
To celebrate the album’s release, Ethan performed at Yamaha Studio NYC, in an event co-presented by WBGO. I was thrilled to host the concert, as this was my first time meeting him. He couldn’t have been more personable, charming and fun to listen and talk to. Larry Grenadier was on bass and Nasheet Waits filled in for DeJohnette on drums. It had been a long time since I’d seen Nasheet, so seeing him was a treat.
We weren’t able to welcome a live audience, but that didn’t detract from the intensity of this performance. In addition to playing songs from the album, Ethan and his band mates also delivered a rousing take on “‘Round Midnight,” by Thelonious Monk.
These gifted musicians brought warmth on what was a cold winter evening. That same spirit will shine in our video, which WBGO is sharing as part of our winter fund drive.
