Anyone who has been paying attention knows that Chicago flutist Nicole Mitchell has been showing the potential for greatness for years on her self-released CDs and appearances at Fred Anderson's Velvet Lounge. In the last few years, that potential has started to be realized on record, with the Thrill Jockey release Frequency (with fellow AACM players Ed Wilkerson, Harrison Bankhead and Avreeal Ra) and Indigo Trio's Live in Montreal on Greenleaf, both from 2006, and most notably 2008's Xenogenesis Suite, issued by Firehouse 12.
The Indigo Trio has now made its return, and while Mitchell's not the leader — the group works as a collective — she will certainly be noticed on Anaya. She been making herself known with a touring schedule unusual for Chicago AACM members, and as co-president of the organization she represents a new energy and a new generation for the esteemed organization. And while drummer Hamid Drake is one of the most recognizable names on Chicago's jazz-improv scene, Indigo bassist Harrison Bankhead has long deserved a stronger reputation outside his hometown.
Anaya opens with a stomping Mitchell tune, "Sho Yo Right," which brings to mind Rahsaan Roland Kirk with its strong flute line. Like Kirk, Mitchell can seriously blow the flute, going well beyond just using it for a bit of color. But unlike Kirk (and so many other multi-instrumentalists), for Mitchell it's the sole axe (or axe family at least: she's heard on alto flute and piccolo as well here). She has the chops to hit hard on the usually breathy instrument.
The next three tunes establish the trio as equals, with a lovely Bankhead ballad ("A Child's Curiosity") leading into an extended bass solo that opens Drake's upbeat "Anaya with the Sunlight" and then the only jointly credited cut on the disc, the meditative "Song for Ma'at (Ma-ah-t)."
The second half of the disc more or less follows the same egalitarian distribution, with a nice variety of always-tuneful cuts and ending with another unaccompanied Bankhead solo. The group has gelled considerably since Montreal and it's worth noting that the recording quality is considerably better this time around as well. And realizing their promise just means more promises for the future.
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