A Highland Park town street unchanged since 1940. Drizzly Friday night, people hustling out of the wet. Inside, the full club is semi-modern, a tunnel with the bar on the middle-right and the stage wedged in the back corner. Patrons are mostly younger, the ones nearer the door yapping and ignoring the music. Two efficient women crank out the drinks.
An older couple sit at the bar. They can see through the kitchen doors -- over the athletic shoulders of Esthesis Quartet drummer Tina Raymond -- guys shucking oysters.
Her: She rocks.
Him: It's all in the wrists.
Though collectively quiet, the members of this quartet are individually loud. Elsa Nilsson brings a clean, cutting tone to all her flutes; she also summons one or two multiphonic mouthpiece effects and works in some electronic looping. On electric piano, Dawn Clement both exploits the instrument's sustain to milk the strangeness of her chords, and makes one banger of a note really count when her bandmates make space for it; her voice on one selection shows strength and warmth. Standup bassist Emma Dayhuff has a big, full tone and loves to lock in with Raymond's snapping yet subtle power.
The couple at the bar listen through several tunes from the two Esthesis albums.
Her: I like it, but the tunes are kind of watery. They flow one direction, then another and another.
Him: That's how our minds work, isn't it? Not exactly linear. This group is going for something different.
Her: Maybe, but if they want to grab us, there needs to be something more dynamic.
As if on cue, Raymond starts slapping down a fast groove like Lenny White, and Nilsson tears into a passionate flute solo. This is plainly the closer of the first set, and the audience perks way up.
Her: What is this, Return to Forever?
Him: They might actually be covering Chick! They don't seem to be ironic types, but it's almost as if they're sticking an elbow at us.
Her: Well, they couldn't play fusion with this much guts if they didn't actually dig it.
Him: A little salesmanship rarely goes amiss. But if you're paying attention, this Esthesis stuff pretty much sells itself.
The quartet squeeze off the stage, promising to be back. The crowd clap with gusto.
Her: Are you going to finish that martini?
Him: If you don't beat me to it. That's why I ordered the second one.
* * *
Listen to Esthesis Quartet's first album here and to their new "Time Zones" here.
* * *
PHOTO BY FUZZY BARR.