Evening Sky: Getting your head in the clouds

The jazzy quartet, Evening Sky, will be appearing in PVD to release their newest album, The Desert at Night on March 12, at The Parlour on North Main St. They will be bringing their unique blend of sounds and melodies that have the power to stimulate the mind and soothe the soul. The well rounded musicians combine all elements of popular American styles. No one instrument outshines the rest on this album as their unique set works together to produce a relaxing harmony. While the band dabbles in all kinds of genres, The Desert at Night is bluesy and mellow. Perfect to sit back and relax to.  

The instrumental jazz, “Van Cleef” kicks off very softly with Chris Brooks on pedal steel guitar. It picks up ever so slightly with repetitive riffs under soothing melodies. While the vibe is chill and mellow, the harmonization of all four elements of the instrumentals gives the song body and creates a satisfying sensory experience, in typical Evening Sky fashion. 

“Bowlagumbo” switches things up a bit with steady drums and quick guitar. There’s about a 30-second drum solo which adds to the energy of the piece. While the tempo is brisk, it still didn’t make me want to jump out of my seat and dance. Even with the faster tempo, it remained under the very soothing and calm theme that I heard throughout the album. 

“The Desert At Night Sky” begins with slow guitar, and the rest of the instruments join in gradually. There is a flute feature which adds a beautiful harmony on top of low bass and drums. It is hard to listen to this song and feel anything but aloof. The slow tempo and dynamic of different pitches makes for a beautiful blending of sound that has the power to stimulate the mind and unwind. 

“A Blustery Day” feels like … well, a blustery day.  It begins with a soft tempo much like the others, and becomes faster with another flute feature which is a nice touch. It gives the track a light and breathy feeling. This is followed by “Dry Spell,” which is, to me, what comes to mind when I think of the type of song a jazz quartet might play. “Dry Spell” is the perfect cool head-bob type of sound. 

My personal favorite, “Goodbye Columbus,” seems to belong on a loudspeaker at a tiki hut. This song stood out as more funky and upbeat. Gino Rosati on guitar delivers the feel-good vibe that the album needed. “Where The Buses Don’t Run,” is another piece that has more energy than some of the band’s other songs. Still very bluesy and chill, “Where The Buses Don’t Run” is an easy listen that I wanted to snap my fingers to. 

“Bill’s  Porch,” is a bit morose, but it carries a steady poetic melody throughout the entire piece. As their music typically does, the harmonization from all of the band members gives listeners a satisfying and beautiful sound that kept me listening even during their more somber songs.