EVOLUTION

This band's balance of taut cohesion and adventurous improvisation is mighty impressive. DOWNBEAT. A central figure of New York City's jazz & Afro-Cuban scenes over the last five decades, flutist Andrea Brachfeld, like most artists over the last two years, found a great amount of time to reflect on their art, community and humanity. For Evolution, Brachfeld's writing was affected by her dive into children's issues and the ongoing need of basic necessities even in the best of times. The added pandemic led her to a wide-range of musical sources, each reflecting some universal message of the human condition. Qingauiit from the Inuit duo Tudjaat, The Hut Song from the Central African Baka people, or Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach's Ko Ribon, inject voices of discovery, trauma and celebration. With her longtime compatriots fully onboard, the music is allowed to respond to the myriad influences, deftly blending into a distinctive voice. Brachfeld spellbinds with her assured virtuosity and clear emotional projections... DOWNBEAT