Feb. 26--When he was in his mid-20s, eminent Chicago pianist Robert Irving III joined a band led by one of the greatest innovators in jazz: Miles Davis.
The years Irving spent in Davis' orbit from 1979 to 1988 affected Irving profoundly, and not only because he served as the ensemble's music director. For trumpeter-bandleader Davis famously nurtured the careers of younger musicians such as Irving, and in recent years the pianist has been passing the favor forward.
Irving's aptly named band Generations brings seasoned, midcareer and emerging players together in common cause. Co-founded with the pianist's wife, alto saxophonist Laurence d'Estival Irving, Generations not only synthesizes the players' far-flung musical experiences but also serves as an outlet for Robert Irving's well-documented gifts as composer and arranger.
On Thursday night Generations played one of its most significant engagements to date, opening a four-night run at the Jazz Showcase. The muscularity and rigor of the music-making pointed to the seriousness of the venture and the commitment of these musicians to the leader's vision. Playing music from the band's debut album, "Our Space in Time," as well as from the Miles Davis canon, Generations packed a vast amount of information into its opening set.
True, some periods of introspection and calm would have been welcome amid all the fireworks. But Irving and friends (featuring most of the personnel from the album) came across as musicians who had a great deal to say and were in quite a rush to say it.
Irving's pianism stood at the core of this band, his lustrous tone and busy passagework alluring in solos and ubiquitous in ensemble passages. No matter how much music was emanating from a three-horn front line, Irving's pulsing accompaniment and bursts of keyboard color were integral to the mix. With bassist Emma Dayhuff and drummer Makaya McCraven relentlessly driving rhythm forward, the band summoned energy to burn.
Indeed, Irving's "Energy" could serve as the band's anthem, the tune crystallizing the message of the evening (and anchoring the "Our Space in Time" album). For starters, there was no denying the force and fervor of soprano saxophonist Rajiv Halim, alto saxophonist Laurence d'Estival Irving and tenor saxophonist Irvin Pierce hitting hard in unison. Their declamatory lines may have been heard in neighboring counties, not simply because of volume but also due to the sinewy nature of their composite sound. Add to this Irving's fortissimo punctuations on piano and considerable volatility from drummer McCraven (taking the place of Charles "Rick" Heath, who plays on the recording), and you had a septet combining sonic power with musical substance.
Irving opened the set with an homage to his former boss, playing "Selim" from Davis' "Live-Evil" double album, before segueing into other Davis repertoire of the 1970s. Here were glimpses of reflective music-making, Irving's lush solo on piano setting the stage for unhurried, incantatory phrases from the horns.
Irving's cadenza helped explain why Davis must have been drawn to the man's work, the beauty of Irving's sound enriched by the complexity of his harmonies and the startling quality of his tone clusters. Then, again, Irving's practically orchestral approach to the keyboard surely was enriched by his tenure with Davis.
Elsewhere in the set, Irving presided over multisectional compositions that gave rise to imploring alto saxophone solos from Laurence d'Estival Irving, Coltrane-influenced oration from Halim on soprano saxophone and storms of sound from Pierce's tenor.
Generations, it turns out, is more than just a gathering of musicians of widely divergent ages. It's a forum for exploring music of Davis and his acolytes (such as Irving, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams and others) and exploring where that music can take us.
Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.
hreich@tribpub.com
When: 8 and 10 p.m. Saturday; 4, 8 and 10 p.m. Sunday
Where: Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Court
Tickets: $20-$35; 312-360-0234 or www.jazzshowcase.com
